LeConte's Thrasher

 

LeConte's Sparrow by Richard A. Parks

LeConte Birds

The LeConte's Thrasher is named after American entomologist, John Lawrence LeConte. It is found in sandy desert areas of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Thrashers are related to mockingbirds and catbirds. They are called thrashers because of the way they "thrash" through dirt on the ground searching for their favorite foods which include insects and berries.

The LeConte's Sparrow, or Ammospiza Leconteii, played a significant role in the history of LeConte-Woodmanston. The bird was named by John James Audubon for John Lawrence LeConte. John and his cousin, Joseph LeConte, were outstanding ornithologists of the mid-nineteenth century and collaborated in their bird study field trips. In the summer of 1844 the cousins visited a region of the Great Lakes. There they saw and described the sparrow that was given their family name. The LeConte's Sparrow spends summers and nests in a region of the Great Lakes and winters in Southeastern Georgia.

During the years 1845-1850, Joseph LeConte, born and raised at LeConte-Woodmanston made intensive observation and study of the bird life of Low Country, Georgia. In 1850, Joseph and his brother, John LeConte, published what was probably the first list of all bird species in the state of Georgia. Their catalog included 273 species.

In 1975 Thomas F. Collum, an Atlanta architect and amateur naturalist, commissioned the artist, Richard A. Parks, to make a watercolor painting of the LeConte's Sparrow. The painting depicts a pair of LeConte's sparrows perched in the seed stalks of the indigenous flower, Evening Primrose. In his rendering Mr. Parks also depicts, growing from the base of the Evening Primrose, a specimen of Coastal Broomsedge. A limited edition of color prints of Park's LeConte's Sparrow was crafted by Mr. Carl S. Buck. Each copy is inspected and autographed by Mr. Parks. To see the print go to our "Home Page".

Mr. Richard A. Parks was born in Atlanta. He has illustrated a number of books and is best known, in his home state of Georgia, for his painting of the Brown Thrasher which hangs in the governor's mansion in Atlanta.