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John Latham | |
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| Born | 27 June 1740 Eltham, Kent, England |
| Died | 4 February 1837 (aged 96) Winchester, Hampshire, England |
| Known for | A General Synopsis of Birds |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ornithology |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Latham |
John Latham FRS (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 A General History of Birds (1821–1828). He was able to examine specimens of Australian birds that reached England in the final 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, white-throated needletail and pheasant coucal. Latham has been called the "grandfather" of Australian ornithology. He was also the first to describe the hyacinth macaw from South America.