The Great Blue Heron has a plume at the back of its head. A plume is a collection of showy feathers that stick out much like the plume on a hat.  In the 1800's and early 1900's, hats with plumes were very popular and the plumes were indeed bird feathers.  Since feathers from large birds were rare, they became a symbol of high society.  Only upper-class citizens could afford the feathers of the Great Blue Heron.  As a result, feather hunters killed these birds to obtain a high price from the “plumassiers.”  Plumassiers prepared feathers for sale to milliners (hat makers).  As described in Hats off to Birds!

“In 1892, a single order of feathers to a London dealer included 6,000 bird of paradise feathers, 40,000 hummingbird feathers and 360,000 feathers from other East Indian birds (McDowell, 1992).”  Fortunately, hairstyles changed to short hair that cannot support the weight of elaborately decorated hats.  As a result, the demand for feathers decreased greatly and birds such as the Great Blue Heron were not hunted to extinction.

Discuss the killing of animals to provide decorative adornments or keepsakes for humans.  How are they used to elevate a person's status?  Consider:

a.     Eagle and hawk feathers in a Native American headdress
b.     Beaver skin in a fur coat
c.     Rabbits foot for a good luck charm
d.     Elephant's tusk for jewelry, dice and piano keys