Of course, a far far more important consideration than which breed is buying from a good reputable breeder who loves the breed and breeds for health, temperament, and working ability, not some backyard breeder yahoo. Having said that, many breeds are good for upland birds. All of your pointers, setters, and spaniels of good breeding will be good for that. BUT, since you threw ducks into the mix, you need a dog that likes the water and has a thick coat that will keep it warm when retrieving in icy waters (not necessarily a long coat; but a thick coat). That means a water retreiver such as a Labrador is your best bet. But with Labs, you have to be *especially wary* of poor breeders since there's zillions of poor breeders for this breed. Plus, not all lab lines point very well, so you need a lab from an excellent breeder who breeds for pointing (all labs will naturally be trainable to retrieve). So, if you're really gonna hunt duck too, better get one that likes the water like a Lab. I'm pretty sure that Goldens, Flat-Coated and Chesapeake Bay retreivers are also excellent for waterfowl, but again, you need to find a line that has a pointing instinct so that they can do quail & pheasants too!
There's a few others who don't mind water, like a Weimareiner, Visla, GSP, or GLP/GWP, IINM.
As far as one that is a good family companion as well, you are on the right track with water retreivers like Labs, Goldens, Flat-coated, & Chessies. They are all amicable and want to be part of the family. Ditto on the Weimereiner, Visla, & German pointers, but not quite to the same extent as retreivers. The latter are much better watchdogs than retrievers, but if that is not a concern, then I'd definitely look into some quality Lab lines who are bred for both water retrieving and upland birds (pointing).
Now if want to eliminate ducks, or get a separate dog for ducks, and just focus on upland birds, then there's no dogs more birdy than traditional setters & pointers, whether standard American pointer, Irish setter, etc. I would also consider a GSP or GWP for a dedicated upland dog, since again, they make better pets.
P.S. With GSPs, like Labs, there's a million bad breeders. Not quite as many horrible breeders as labs, but certainly a lot of bad ones. Do a ton of research before buying. Get a contract with a health guarantee, and require OFA (hip) and CERT (eyes) certification. Also test the dog to the extent possible before buying, and find out if its parents were actually hunters, and/or if they earned any working dog titles in competition. It's funny how with your best breeders, you actually pay little to no more than you would from a scumball backyard breeder, because they do it for the love of the breed and operate on very thin profit margins. Whereas backyard breeders do it for a quick buck. Sometimes even great dogs are cheaper with the best breeders for this reason - so you can't let price be your guide as to the quality, and you certainly can't rely on lip service about how great they are from the breeder. You need background, facts, & evidence - ask a million questions.