William T. Cooper, AO

William T. Cooper AO (1934–2015) originally painted landscapes and seascapes but turned to painting birds because of a lifelong love of natural history. He collaborated on many bird monographs with Joseph M. Forshaw. In 1990, William was awarded the Philadelphia Academy of Science Gold Medal, and in 1994 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contribution to art and to ornithology. A collection of his original paintings is owned by the National Library of Australia and many others are in private collections around the world.

Other books illustrated by William T. Cooper include Pigeons and Doves in Australia written by Joseph M. Forshaw, and Australian Rainforest Fruits: A Field Guide, written by Wendy Cooper.