Ducks, Geese, and Swans
Anatidae
The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and, in some cases, diving in at least shallow water. The family contains around 174 species in 43 genera.
They are generally herbivorous and are monogamous breeders. A number of species undertake annual migrations. A few species have been domesticated for agriculture, and many others are hunted for food and recreation. Five species have become extinct since 1600, and many more are threatened with extinction.
60 branches of this family, most-observed first · about 167 known species
Mallards, Pintails, and Allies
genusAnas
Black Geese
genusBranta
Scaups, Pochards, and Allies
genusAythya
True Swans
genusCygnus
Shovelers and Allies
genusSpatula
Wigeons and Allies
genusMareca
Grey Geese
genusAnser
Goldeneyes and Bufflehead
genusBucephala
Typical Mergansers
genusMergus
Wood and Mandarin Ducks
genusAix
Muscovy Ducks
genusCairina
Whistling-Ducks
genusDendrocygna
African and Mascarene Sheldgeese
genusAlopochen
Typical Shelducks
genusTadorna
Lophodytes
genusLophodytes
Stiff-tailed Ducks
genusOxyura
Scoters
genusMelanitta
Typical Eiders
genusSomateria
Maned Ducks
genusChenonetta
Dabbling Pochards
genusNetta
Clangula
genusClangula
Harlequin Ducks
genusHistrionicus
Austral Sheldgeese
genusChloephaga
Smews
genusMergellus
Hymenolaimus
genusHymenolaimus
Mallards, Teal, Pintails and Allies × Muscovy Ducks
genushybridAnas × Cairina
Brazilian Teals
genusAmazonetta
Grey Geese × Black Geese
genushybridAnser × Branta
Coscoroba
genusCoscoroba
Plectropterus
genusPlectropterus
Callonetta
genusCallonetta
Cereopsis
genusCereopsis
Pygmy-Geese
genusNettapus
Lophonetta
genusLophonetta
Steamer Ducks
genusTachyeres
Comb and Knob-billed Ducks
genusSarkidiornis
Oressochen
genusOressochen
Malacorhynchus
genusMalacorhynchus
Musk Ducks
genusBiziura
Radjah Shelducks
genusRadjah
Merganetta
genusMerganetta
Marmaronetta
genusMarmaronetta
Sibirionetta
genusSibirionetta
Stictonetta
genusStictonetta
Nomonyx
genusNomonyx
Heteronetta
genusHeteronetta
Thalassornis
genusThalassornis
Mallards, Teal, Pintails and Allies × Wigeons and Allies
genushybridAnas × Mareca
Speculanas
genusSpeculanas
Polysticta
genusPolysticta
Goldeneyes × Hooded Mergansers
genushybridBucephala × Lophodytes
Mallards, Teal, Pintails and Allies × Pochards
genushybridAnas × Netta
Pteronetta
genusPteronetta
Typical Shelducks × Mallards, Teals, Pintails and Allies
genushybridTadorna × Anas
Cyanochen
genusCyanochen
Asarcornis
genusAsarcornis
Wood and Mandarin Ducks × Mallards, Teal, Pintails and Allies
genushybridAix × Anas
Dabbling Pochards × Scaups, Pochards, and Allies
genushybridNetta × Aythya
Wigeons and Allies × Shovelers and Allies
genushybridMareca × Spatula
Mallards, Teal, Pintails and Allies × Shovelers and Allies
genushybridAnas × Spatula
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Anatidae in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 6912.