Waterfowl

Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans.

They are strong swimmers with medium to large bodies. They have historically been an important food source, and continue to be hunted as game, or raised as poultry for meat and eggs. The domestic duck is sometimes kept as a pet.

Some definitions of the term 'waterfowl' include the saltwater shorebirds or waders, gulls, pelicans, and herons, as well as seabirds such as the albatross, and even the penguin, but generally 'fowl' refers to birds used by humans.

Waterfowl families
The following are groups of birds traditionally classed as waterfowl ; all but the rails are in the Anseriformes order.


 * Anatidae: ducks, geese and swans, approximately 147 species
 * Anseranatidae: the Magpie Goose
 * Rallidae: water-adapted members, principally the coots and moorhens