Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the
waterfowl family Anatidae, which also includes
swans and
geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae; they do not represent a
monophyletic group (the group of all descendants of a single common ancestral species) but a
form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly
aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.