Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock (also called a birdie or shuttle, or ball) is a high-drag projectile used in the sport of badminton.

It has an open conical shape formed by feathers or plastic (or a synthetic alternative) embedded into a rounded cork (or rubber) base.

The object resembles a hawk's lure, used from ancient times in the training of hunting birds.

[1][3] A shuttlecock is formed from 16 or so overlapping feathers, usually goose or duck, embedded into a rounded cork base.

Feathers are plucked from the wings of a live goose or duck, a method which has been deemed cruel by animal rights activists in recent years.

Properly humidified feathers flex during play, enhancing the shuttle's speed change and durability.

World Badminton Federation Rules say the shuttle should reach the far doubles service line plus or minus half the width of the tram.

This shows that feathered shuttlecocks have a capacity for a higher standard speed range at which the game is typically played that synthetics cannot quite reach.