The Real Birdman of Alcatraz: The Life of Robert Stroud

Robert Franklin Stroud, better known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz,” was a man whose life was defined by violence, isolation, and an extraordinary dedication to birds. A convicted murderer, ornithologist, and author, Stroud spent 54 years behind bars, including 42 in solitary confinement. His transformation from a violent inmate to a respected expert in avian pathology remains one of the most unusual stories in American criminal history. His life became widely known due to the 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz, starring Burt Lancaster, which romanticized his story and painted him as a misunderstood intellectual, though those who knew him in prison described a far more dangerous and manipulative individual.

Early Life and a Descent into Crime

Born on January 28, 1890, in Seattle, Washington, Stroud was the eldest child of Elizabeth Jane (née McCartney) and Benjamin Franklin Stroud. His mother had two daughters from a previous marriage, and his father was an abusive alcoholic. Stroud ran away from home at the age of 13 to escape the violence, fending for himself on the streets.

At 18, he arrived in Cordova, Alaska, where he met 36-year-old Kitty O’Brien, a prostitute and dance-hall entertainer. Stroud acted as her pimp in Juneau, making a living from her earnings. On January 18, 1909, he confronted bartender F.K. “Charlie” von Dahmer after the man allegedly refused to pay O’Brien for her services and physically assaulted her. A struggle ensued, and Stroud shot von Dahmer to death. Reports suggest that he first knocked the man unconscious before fatally shooting him.

As Alaska was then a U.S. territory, Stroud was prosecuted in federal court, convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to 12 years in prison at McNeil Island Penitentiary in Washington. However, his time in prison was anything but uneventful.

A Notoriously Violent Inmate

Stroud quickly developed a reputation as one of the most violent prisoners at McNeil Island. He frequently fought with staff and inmates, once stabbing a fellow prisoner who had reported him for stealing food. He also assaulted a hospital orderly who had caught him attempting to obtain morphine through threats. After another violent altercation, he was sentenced to an additional six months and transferred to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas in 1912.

At Leavenworth, Stroud’s volatile temper did not improve. On March 26, 1916, he fatally stabbed guard Andrew Turner through the heart after Turner reprimanded him over a minor rule violation. This incident meant Stroud would miss a scheduled visit with his younger brother, which enraged him. Convicted of first-degree murder, he was sentenced to death by hanging in 1918. His mother, Elizabeth, who had always advocated for him, successfully petitioned President Woodrow Wilson to commute his sentence to life in prison. However, Leavenworth’s warden, T.W. Morgan, opposed the decision and persuaded the authorities to keep Stroud in permanent solitary confinement.

The Birdman of Leavenworth

While in solitary confinement at Leavenworth, Stroud’s life took an unexpected turn. In 1920, he discovered a nest with three injured sparrows in the prison yard and nursed them back to health. This sparked an obsession with birds, leading him to breed and study canaries. Prisoners were sometimes allowed to keep birds, and Stroud acquired more, turning his cell into an aviary.

Leavenworth’s administration changed, and the new warden, William Biddle, saw an opportunity to present the prison as progressive. He provided Stroud with cages, chemicals, and stationery, allowing him to conduct serious research. Over the years, Stroud raised nearly 300 canaries and became an expert in avian diseases. His first book, Diseases of Canaries, was smuggled out and published in 1933, gaining him respect among ornithologists. A revised edition, Stroud’s Digest on the Diseases of Birds, followed in 1943, containing even more detailed research.

Stroud’s work was groundbreaking. He developed cures for avian hemorrhagic septicemia and ran a successful business selling his bird medicines from within prison. However, his activities created logistical problems. Due to prison regulations, every letter he sent or received had to be reviewed, which required a full-time staff member. Additionally, his birds were permitted to fly freely within his cell, making hygiene a major concern.

In 1931, an attempt was made to shut down his bird operation, but Stroud’s supporters launched a massive letter-writing campaign, collecting 50,000 signatures in a petition to President Herbert Hoover. As a result, he was allowed to keep his birds and was even given an additional cell to house them. However, his letter-writing privileges were restricted.

Stroud’s interactions with the public deepened when he formed a business relationship with a bird researcher, Della Mae Jones, who moved to Kansas and helped sell his bird medicines. In 1933, he publicly claimed he was not receiving royalties from his books, angering his publisher and prison officials. When authorities sought to transfer him, he discovered a Kansas law that prevented the relocation of married prisoners. To exploit this, he married Jones by proxy, which only further infuriated prison officials.

The Transfer to Alcatraz

Prison officials had long sought to remove Stroud, and they finally found their opportunity in 1942 when it was discovered that he had been using laboratory equipment to distill alcohol. Citing his “dangerous tendencies,” authorities ordered his transfer to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. He was given just ten minutes’ notice before leaving, with no chance to bring his birds or equipment.

Stroud arrived at Alcatraz on December 19, 1942, becoming inmate No. 594. Unlike Leavenworth, Alcatraz’s strict policies meant he was not permitted to keep birds. Stripped of his former life, he spent six years in segregation before being moved to the prison hospital, where he remained for the next 11 years.

The Battle of Alcatraz

In May 1946, Alcatraz witnessed one of its most infamous escape attempts, the Battle of Alcatraz. Stroud, then 56 years old, played a role in protecting inmates during the siege. Climbing over the third-tier railing, he dropped to the second tier and began closing the solid steel doors of the isolation cells to shield prisoners from gunfire. He shouted warnings to the warden that innocent men would die if the guards continued firing into D Block.

Birdman of Alcatraz’s Later Years and Death

At Alcatraz, Stroud turned to legal studies and wrote Looking Outward: A History of the U.S. Prison System, though authorities blocked its publication. He was diagnosed as a psychopath by prison psychiatrist Romney M. Ritchey, with an IQ of 112.

In 1959, with his health failing, Stroud was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he remained until his death on November 21, 1963, at the age of 73.

Legacy and Cultural Depictions

Stroud’s life was romanticized in Thomas E. Gaddis’ 1955 book Birdman of Alcatraz, later adapted into the 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster. However, former inmates and guards disputed this portrayal, stating that the real Stroud was a manipulative and dangerous individual.

Despite this, Stroud remains a paradoxical figure. His contributions to ornithology were genuine, yet his violent past and manipulative nature paint a more complex picture than the public image suggests. The legend of the Birdman of Alcatraz continues to intrigue to this day.