bills, etc. Additional styles in which Bill William T Cooper Cooper paints are brush and ink wash as those published in Austra­ lian Parrots, 2nd edition, limited A Bird Artist in "Eden" issue; field paintings for reference use when doing final illustrations; byRae V. Anderson and "handbook" style illustrations. Sierra Madre, California All considered, Bill has a wide, varied and pleasing style repertoire. Wendy Cooper, Bill's lovely and When I returned to my home in the team is the tremendous three part, gracious wife, is not only an avid bird Los Angeles area with smog, conges­ six volume series, Kingfishers and enthusiast but also a blossoming tion and concrete from a visit to the Related Birds (Lansdowne Editions ­ botanist as well as seemingly being Atherton Tableland of northern 1983 - ). Part 2, Volume II of this ser­ interested in everything related to Queensland, Australia, I felt a richer ies will probably be released about the rainforest. Wendy is a rare man. This was partially, of course, the time this essay appears and Bill woman indeed. In addition to her the result of the exhileration experi­ Cooper is now completing the paint­ love of all things of the rainforest she enced from being in close proximity ings which will illustrate the two vol­ does not hesitate to get her feet wet with the magnificent rainforest birds, umes of Part 3 (the hornbills). It has nor does she recoil at the presence of mammals, insects and plants with been announced that this will be the the leeches in spite ofsome very trau­ their myriad of shapes, sizes, colors, last joint undertaking by the Forshaw­ matic personal experiences with displays, scents, defenses (yes, Cooper team, a very sad note for the them. defenses - the stiletto-like inner claw ornithological community. These two people reinforce and of the spectacular cassowary, the Bill's meticulous attention to detail complement each other's interests venom spurs of the male platypus, and scientific accuracy together with beautifully (in addition, Wendy is a the razor sharp claws and big teeth of his vast technical knowledge of the good cook). This, dear readers is a the "loveable, cuddly" Koala, the birds and ability with the brush very difficult-to-beat arrangement. toxins of some Lepidoptera and results in true ornithological master­ The Coopers' friendly and very caterpillars, the spines and toxins of pieces. His paintings are found in pri­ comfortable home, located well in many plants, their fruits and seeds), vate collections throughout the the Australian bush, completely hid­ etc. But especially enriching was my world. The ultimate recognition of den from all passing casual viewers, opportunity to spend some, but the artistic merits of Bill's work was is within their own 160 acre block of much too little, time at the home ofa bestowed upon him when the Aus­ primal rainforest. This is immediately very special couple, Mr. and Mrs. tralian government purchased, for adjacent to a large World Heritage William T. Cooper. inclusion in their National Gallery, all area so their property and the Bill Cooper, as no ornithologist or of the original paintings for Parrots surrounding rainforest are now well aviculturist needs be told, is one of of the World, 1st edition, and the protected. The Coopers have so far Australia's finest painters or illustra­ Papua New Guinea government did identified 80 species of the native tors of birds and no doubt the the same thing for all of the Birds of rainforest trees which are visible world's foremost painter of parrots Paradise andBowerbirds originals! from the immediate area of their and hornbills. Bill's earlier paintings In the recent book Masterpieces of house. There are many more. These were principally traditional land and BirdArt- 700 Years ofOrnithologi­ are only the ones they have so far seascapes. He then, in collaboration cal Illustration, author Roger F. been able to identify! with the late Keith Hindwood, illus­ Pasquier states of Bill Cooper "The Imagine if you will, against a back­ trated A Portfolio of Australian foremost practitioner today (of the ground of rainforest, a garden land­ Birds (Charles E. Tuttle Company ­ Gouldian style) is William T. scaped with native Platyceriums 1968). After that, Bill teamed with Cooper", and "Cooper, an Austra­ (staghorn ferns) and lovely wild the noted Australian ornithologist lian, is the most accomplished living orchid species through which wan­ Joseph M. Forshaw, to illustrate painter working in the Gouldian der cassowaries and wallabies and Parrots of the World (Lansdowne style". The Gouldian style is simply decorated with honeyeaters, rifle­ Editions - 1973). This, the finest par­ the style for which Bill Cooper is best birds and spectacular butterflies. It rot book of this century, is now in its known. This is the style which has become necessary to fence their third and final edition. Following this predominates the hundreds of water­ garden (unobtrusively just inside the was Birds ofParadise and Bower­ color, acrylic and gouache illustra­ natural rainforest from the area birds (William Collins Publishers ­ tions in his numerous books. In cleared for the house and garden) in 1977), a magnificent volume on addition to the Gouldian style, how­ order to prevent the wallabies from these spectacular bird groups which ever, Bill does large, very spectacular, eating all of the landscaping in the resulted largely from Bill's extensive full background habitat scenes in oils cleared area, including the lawn, field studies in New Guinea. Then and alkyds on canvas. Some of the down to bare red earth. The walla­ came Australian Parrots, 2nd edi­ more recent examples of these are: bies seem to prefer the landscape tion (Lansdowne Editions - 1981), for Victoria Riflebirds; Hyacinth Macaws plants and open area of the garden which Bill created all new paintings, (which was published as a limited over the countless plant species in choosing not to use any that had illus­ edition, reduced size print - the origi­ the dense forest in which they live. It trated Parrots ofthe World. The last nal being 48 inches x 36 inches); seems the old addage "things always joint venture by this author-artist Palm Cockatoos; Great Indian Horn- look better on the other side of the 34 October/ November 1992 fence" even applies to the wallabies. Stepping out of the house and into Parrot Bands • Cockatiel Bands • Lovebird Bands the rainforest (be sure to close the ParakeetBands • CanaryBands • HandfeedingSyringes gate so the wallabies won't get in) we are immediately into dense forest of All sizes ofplastic bands • Band Cutters • Nets tall trees with their magnificent but­ Stainless Steel Feeding Needles tress bases, rare (at least in Pipettes • ClawScissors FAST the U.S.A.) palms including various SERVICEI Linospadix species, Calamus Send self-addressed. stamped envelope australis and Calamus moti (vigor­ for complete brochure. ous, climbing or vining palms with trunks the diameter of my finger, L & M BIRD LEG BANDS covered with extremely sharp spines P.O. Box 2943 • San Bernardino, CA 92406 and"flagella" two or three meters (714) 882-4649 Mondaythru Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (PST) long, armed with sharp, recurved Closed month ofJuly for vacation. hooks hanging down and always ready to snag any part of the unwary intruder including eyes), the attrac­ tive feather leafed palm Orania appendiculata, tree ferns, the very interesting and uncycad-Iooking cycad Bowenea spectabilis, which is AVIAN TRADER CLASSIFIEDS almost a weed pest in the Coopers' 100% OF OUR SUBSCRIBERS READ THE CLASSIFIEDSI! garden, it's subterranian stems push­ ing leaves up between the paving bricks of the walkways as well as in *Buy, Sell, Trade Your Birds, Equipment, Supplies nationwide. the lawn, flower bed, etc. Also there *Subscriptions: 12 Issues $7. 25 Issues $14.38 Issues $21. is the Strangler-fig Ficus crassipes, or ~~\\l::;~ *Ads due 25th of each Month. 35¢ a word. $7 Min. per Ad. Banana-fig, so called because of the *Published Monthly. Mailed 1st Class. shape of its fruit. This large tree *We accept Checks and VISNMASTERCARD. begins when a bird deposites the *NO LONG WAIT FOR CIRCULATION!! seed high in the branches of a tree. The seedling sends down very long MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS and ADS to: ATC, Dept. A, P.O. Box 6215, roots to reach the ground. As the Traverse City, MI 49685-6215 Fax iI (616) 946-9317 plant grows, more roots are sent down until they form a network which bond together, eventually strangling the host tree. This fig tree then becomes huge and ultimately shows little evidence that it ever grew on a host. Then there are the myriad of lianas and other plants which I find interesting but cannot Birds live best on live foods. identify. The flagella of the Calamus palms together with the leeches require us intruders to remain ever Birds enjoy and benefit most from live food. alert when in their domain. Gmbeo live foods provide large amounts of high-quality protein and other vital Our attention is qUickly diverted by the loud, harsh scolding of Sulphur­ nutrients, as well as important moisture. crested Cockatoos Cocatua galerita Wax worms, mealworms, fly larvae and crickets - from Gmbeo to your bird galerita, objecting to being dis­ with love. turbed from their feeding. We get no Gmbeo is ready to take your order. Please call us toll-free. more than glimpses of them as they flyaway above the forest canopy. Bill Call or write for your free brochure: 800-222-3563 picks up from the forest floor, pieces of the seeds and pods on which they You also can order by FAX: 513-874-5878, 24-hours a day, every day of the year.