Bird Flu Sends Badminton Players Into a Flap

Badminton players in the US have become the latest group to suffer the consequences of bird flu, claiming its spread is fuelling a shortage of top-quality, goose-feather shuttlecocks.

They say that bird flu's progress around the globe - and the resultant cull of millions of geese - has dramatically reduced the quantity of feathers available and pushed up the price of the premium shuttlecocks, known as birdies.

The price of a tube of a dozen birdies, which is usually about $25 (£13.50), has risen by 25% in the last few months as badminton aficionados began panic-buying.

The best birdies, which are made of goose feathers plucked in northern China, bear little resemblance to their cheap plastic cousins. Each is made of 16 hand-selected feathers, of which one goose may yield just two. The feathers are set in a cork base and held together with string and glue.

Despite their fragile structure, birdies must be tough enough to survive shots that send them hurtling across the court at up to 150mph.

One of the hardest-hit badminton communities is the Southern California circuit, which is home to some of America's best players, coaches and clubs.

"I believe the problem is potentially considerable," Torsten Berg, the official bird flu spokesman for the International Badminton Federation, told the Los Angeles Times.

Some players have begun to suspect that makers are using some lower-quality feathers to make up for the shortfall, so that birdies break more easily and are harder to control.

Dan Chien, a 35-year-old badminton fanatic from west Los Angeles, said he had noticed that twice as many shuttlecocks are now being destroyed in doubles matches. Before the bird flu crisis, he told the paper, birdie casualties averaged between eight and 10 in each match.

Some players have reportedly been steaming their birdies, or putting them in the refrigerator, which can plump up feathers and give them a longer playing life.

Shuttlecock makers and the game's governing body have been looking for a synthetic alternative. Some, however, argue that there may never be an artificial product to rival the birdie.

"Feathers are actually quite unique," said Mr Berg. "The birds have done a good job developing feathers."