Cooper Bookmarks

We are pleased to be able to offer our customers our second collection of specially commissioned bookmarks illustrated and designed by William T. Cooper. Bill Cooper kindly agreed to this commission and the artwork was completed late 2013. These bookmarks are NOT for sale, individual bookmarks are sometimes added to customer's parcels and are often made available to customers who make a shop purchase at our discretion.

                        

Magnificent Riflebird

The Magnificent Riflebird Ptiloris magnificus inhabits rainforest and riverine forest on Cape York Peninsula. It is reasonably common within its range and is one of the feature birds of the Iron Range. Riflebirds are more often heard than seen.

Night Parrot

The Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis inhabits the arid inland. Rediscovered in 2013 it is still Australia’s most enigmatic bird with very little known of its biology.

Cairns Birdwing Butterfly

The Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Ornithoptera euphorion is the largest and one of the most beautiful of Australia’s butterflies. This painting shows two males (upper and underside). The female is bigger than the male but not as colourful.

Northern Spinytailed Gecko

The lovely little Northern Spinytailed Gecko Stophurus ciliaris is extremely variable in colour. The very pale specimens (as illustrated) are generally from the northern part of their range which covers most of inland and north western Australia.

Yellow-breasted Boatbill

The spectacular Yellow-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus flaviventer is a secretive little bird of the tropical
rainforest. Shown here is a male (bottom) displaying to the female.

Striped Possum

The Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata feeds mostly on the larvae of wood boring beetles, which it locates by tapping on a trunk and listening for movement. Striped Possums also like the nectar from flowers like this Bumpy Satinash.

First Collection

This information is for your reference only, these bookmarks are no longer available.

Our first collection of bookmarks was completed by William T. Cooper in 2006.

                          

Ribbon-tailed Astrapia

The spectacular Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (Astrapia mayeri) was first collected in the central highlands of New Guinea in 1936. A partial specimen was sent to the British Museum by Fred Shaw Meyer and it was described in 1939. The central tail plumes can reach lengths of over one metre and a fully plumaged male is an extraordinary sight as it flies through the dense canopy of New Guinea's upper montane forest.

Rainbow Bee-eater 

The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is a widespread and relatively common bird of open woodland throughout most of Australia.

Red-banded Jezebel and Blue Triangle 

The top and bottom butterflies are the Red-banded Jezebel (Delias mysis). The uppermost is a male underside and the bottom figure is the upperside of a female. The central butterfly is the Blue Triangle (Graphium sarpedon)and the plant is Little Evodia (Melicope rubra). Both species are found in the rainforests of north Queensland.

Boyd's Forest Dragon

Boyd's Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) is a handsome rainforest dweller of far north Queensland. It is usually very cryptic and has a habit of moving around a tree trunk avoiding view.

White-throated Needletail

The White-throated Needletail (Hirundapis caudacutus) so named because of its distinctive tail (not visible in flight) is a common Australian migrant. Its arrival in southern Australia is usually associated with low pressure weather patterns.

Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo

Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) is one of two (the other is Bennett's Tree Kanagroo) remant species of Tree Kangaroos found in tropical far north Queensland, the other eight species are found in New Guinea. Tree Kangaroos are well adapted to an arboreal life and spend most of their time in the rainforest canopy. This species is named after the Norwegian exploper Carl Lumholtz who visited Queensland in the 1880's.