John Latham (ornithologist)

John Latham
Born(1740-06-27)27 June 1740
Eltham, Kent, England
Died4 February 1837(1837-02-04) (aged 96)
NationalityEnglish
Known forA General Synopsis of Birds
AwardsFRS
Scientific career
FieldsOrnithology
Author abbrev. (zoology)Latham

John Latham (27 June 1740 – 4 February 1837) was an English physician, naturalist and author. His main works were A General Synopsis of Birds (1781–1801) and General History of Birds (1821–1828). He was able to examine specimens of Australian birds which reached England in the last twenty years of the 18th century, and was responsible for providing English names for many of them. He named some of Australia's most famous birds, including the emu, sulphur-crested cockatoo, wedge-tailed eagle, superb lyrebird, Australian magpie, magpie-lark and pheasant coucal. He was also the first to describe the hyacinth macaw. Latham has been called the "grandfather" of Australian ornithology.


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