A shuttlecock (also called a birdie or shuttle, or ball) is a high-drag projectile used in multiple sports, most notably badminton. It has an open conical shape formed by feathers or a synthetic material, such as plastic, embedded into a rounded cork (or rubber) base. The shuttlecock's shape makes it extremely aerodynamically stable. The "shuttle" part of the name is derived from its back-and-forth motion during the game, resembling the shuttle of a 14th-century loom, while the "cock" part of the name is derived from the resemblance of the feathers to those on a rooster.

Source: Wikipedia