The plumes of these birds were once so highly regarded, they were incorporated into the ceremonial dress of royalty. Hunters who collected the birds prepared the skins to emphasise the beauty of the feathers. The wings and legs were regularly removed in the process.
When quizzed about how the birds perched or flew without any limbs, Moluccan traders who had never seen the birds in life responded that they were bolong diuata, the birds of the gods.