The feather material of badminton is mainly divided into two categories: natural feathers and artificial materials, as follows.

First, natural feathers
goose feather

Goose blade plume: taken from the goose wing outermost several feathers, feather shaft strong and good toughness, excellent flight stability, commonly used in professional events and high-grade badminton.
Goose single side feathers: from the inside of the goose wings, the price is more affordable, suitable for amateur competitions and training, but the flight stability is slightly inferior to the goose blade plume.
Advantages: strong playing resistance, accurate flight trajectory, in line with the IWF standards for competition balls.
Duck feathers

Cormorant duck feathers: wider feather blade, flight performance close to goose feather, cost-effective, suitable for amateur clubs.
Water duck feathers: thin feather shaft, poor durability, but low price, suitable for beginners or recreation.
Advantages: low cost, suitable for daily practice; disadvantage is poor durability.
Second, man-made materials
Carbon fiber / nylon: such as VICTOR carbon sound badminton, strong durability and low cost, but the flight path and feel and natural feathers have differences, mostly used for training or recreational scenarios.
Other synthetic materials: such as plastic fiber, good water resistance but unstable performance, less used in professional events.
Material selection basis
Professional competition: goose feathers (especially goose blade plume) must be used to ensure flight stability and fairness.
Daily use: Duck feathers or artificial materials are more economical.
Summary: Natural feathers (goose feather, duck feather) are still the mainstream, but man-made materials are gradually popularized due to their durability and cost advantages, and both of them have their own application scenarios.