In 1968 William Cooper, who started his career as a landscape artist, came to Australian ornithological prominence with his first book A Portfolio of Australian Birds. Handsomely published in a small folio format with an excellent text by one of Australia's most respected ornithologists, the late Keith Hindwood, Portfolio was the first Australian bird book whose aim was primarily artistic. Bill Cooper's 24 bird paintings were a revelation; he demonstrated great technical ability combined with a sophisticated understanding of his subjects.

The postures and behaviours were dynamic and the habitat settings accurate. Portfolio was a modest success within the Australian ornithological community but the publication ot Parrots of the World in 1973 established his international reputation. Bill Cooper is now recognised as 'the world's leading exponent of the Gouldian style of bird illustration'. His paintings have been purchased by public galleries and are held in some of the finest private art collections throughout the world. Almost all of the original artworks from his books have been purchased en bloc; the National Library of Australia purchased the originals from Parrots of the World, 1973; the originals from Birds of Paradise and Bower Birds, 1977, were purchased by the Papua New Guinea Government; the originals from the second edition of Australian Parrots and Kingfishers and Related Birds, 1983-1994, were purchased by a private collector.

He has exhibited at the most prestigious of all wildlife art shows, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin USA, and in 1990 was awarded the Academy of Natural Sciences (USA) Gold Medal for distinction in Natural History Art. This medal is awarded periodically to an artist 'whose artistic endeavours and life's work have contributed to man's better understanding and appreciation of living things'. In 1994 he was awarded the Order of Australia for his contribution to Art and Ornithology. Bill's wife, Wendy, is the other half of the Cooper research team. Wendy wrote the text to fruits of the Rainforest, 1994, and her botanical expertise has provided important scientific input for both the Turaco and Cockatoo portfolios. They went to Africa in 1995 to observe and do field sketches of turacos for the Turacos: A Portfolio Of All Species and have used the same work pattern in 1998 and 1999 to produce Cockatoos: A Portfolio Of All Species. They travelled over much of Australia to see all the cockatoos in their habitats, from the snow-covered alps in the south to the steamy, tropical rainforests of the north and across the continent to the west coast to find the two white-tailed species and the Western Corella. At Jurong Bird Park in Singapore, Bill was able to see the Indonesian species and make sketches and notes in preparation for the finished work. Bill's passion for cockatoos goes back to his early years and working on this collection has allowed him to indulge himself in his favourite subjects.