These people revere the feathers of the exotic birds that they admire because of their beauty, their singing ability, and their ability to fly and believe that wearing these feathers will impart some of these desirable qualities to the wearer. This formidable warrior was quite striking in his wig which sported cockatoo crest and wing feathers, lory feathers , and the long tail plumes of the Sicklebill Bird of Paradise. The base of the wig is comprised of human hair that takes nearly two years to grow and is a saleable commodity. These dancers are weaning the tail plumes of the Raggiana Bird of Paradise and they emulated the bird's dance and its sharp call. A hornbill beak bracketed by pig tusks adorns this man's back.
Local boys practice catching birds so they can develop the skills to capture larger birds.
After a few drinks of sugar water, the bird revived enough to hop away. This unfortunate Papuan Frogmouth had been captured in the morning. This is a nocturnal species and it was very stressed from its eyes being exposed to sunlight. To many of us, it appears cruel to see birds captured like this and for them to be killed for their feathers. Indeed it can be distressing to see but we must realize that this is part of the culture of these people.