Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) attributed to John Cooper of London. This is a beautiful brown-phase female (c.f. this normal female by Gunn). Brown phase females can be distiguished from juveniles not only by their colour but by the absence of a white nape spot.

Normal adult cuckoos are greyish birds, but occasionally the females occur with brown plumage as this specimen. These are pedantically called ‘hepatic’ (hepatic meaning of, or relating to, the liver and here the reference is to the liver-like colour of the female plumage in this phase, and not to hepatic physiology).

This case is unlabelled but the case style and gold edging, together with the faux clouds painted on the backboard, and the groundwork style, confirm beyond doubt that this is the work of John Cooper. Size 13" x 13.5" x 7". <click image to enlarge>