From Arizona Historian Jan Cleere
Oct. 31, 2025
When I first picked up a copy of Janelle Molony’s hefty tome of Birds Gone Wild, my first thought was who cares about the ostrich industry in Arizona. But Molony has put together a fact-based, delightful account on the history of raising and making money off of these exotic creatures. Her research goes beyond the norm in her quest to unravel the history of Arizona’s ostrich industry and she is meticulous in identifying individuals who started a business within the territory (yes, the ostrich business goes back beyond statehood) and state, as well as those who failed to make a living raising these massive birds.
From the late 1800s into the early 20th century, ostrich plumes were in demand in the millinery industry and were considered feathers of merit for military personnel. Red and blue-necked birds produced black, white, and multi-colored plumes that were all the rage. Initially a South-African industry, Arizona’s temperate climate made it amenable for raising ostriches and by the early 1900s, over half the ostrich population of the country would be housed in Arizona, propelling the state to the ostrich capital of the nation.
Molony’s often-humorous narrative belies the extensive research she obviously undertook for this enjoyable romp through history to uncover the story of an obscure, non-native bird that thrived in the dust and heat of Arizona. Triumph, tragedy, and tomfoolery mingle with the history and science of raising ostriches. Molony provides the reader with a delightful romp among these flightless creatures.
ABOUT: Jan Cleere, author of six award-winning historical nonfiction books detailing the lives of early western pioneers, is considered an authority on Arizona women’s history. Her monthly column, “Western Women,” appears in Tucson’s Arizona Daily Star newspaper, and she is a presenter for the Arizona Humanities program Arizona Speaks. The Arizona Newspapers Association honored Jan for a series of historical profiles she wrote for Phoenix Woman Magazine, and the Nevada Women’s History Project named her to its Roll of Honor for her significant contribution in the preservation of Nevada women’s history. Her freelance work appears in national and regional publications.
Contact Information:
Website: www.JanCleere.com
Email: Jan@JanCleere.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jancleere
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite (Jan. 9, 2026). Click to see original post.
Birds Gone Wild by Janelle Molony is a comprehensive look at ostrich farming, originating from the 19th-century South African feather boom, and the creation of captive breeding systems that expanded rapidly under colonial administration. Molony follows the transfer of this model to the United States through the introduction of breeding, which ultimately led to the California Ostrich Company. She shares facts like how feather clipping replaced killing, how pricing depended on anatomical limits, and how processing shifted risk to urban labor. Molony even shares a 1914 Arizona death during an ostrich drive that altered the public perception of ranching operations. We learn that World War I fashion changes and market collapse fueled feather decline, but that ostriches have so much more to offer, including a 2010 research on egg-derived ostrich IgY antibodies.
Ostriches have long been my favorite bird, even beating the peacock, but now that I’ve read Birds Gone Wild by Janelle Molony, my selection has been confirmed as the right choice! The book is filled with loads of photos, and it is so cool to be able to visualize a lot of what she is sharing. The information is written in a conversational style and is mercifully free of textbook jargon, so it is easy to understand without any prior knowledge, but not patronizing for those who may know more. Molony employs a fair share of wit, and although there are plenty of story inclusions, most of the book presents how ranching operates beyond its history and future, and the impact of ostriches on culture, fashion, industry, and even science. We even learn what they taste like and their role in ancient Roman arena games. Overall, this is a brilliantly insightful and well-written guide, and loads of fun to read. Recommended.
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