Robert Stroud Quotes

A collection of quotes by Robert Stroud.

Robert Stroud, also known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz," was a notorious convict and ornithologist. He was born on January 28, 1890, in Seattle, Washington. Stroud's troubled life began early, involved in petty crimes and eventually escalating to a conviction for manslaughter in 1909.

In 1916, while serving time at the Leavenworth Penitentiary, Stroud discovered a wounded sparrow and nursed it back to health, sparking his interest in birdkeeping. Despite strict regulations against keeping pets, he secretly began studying and breeding birds, eventually becoming an authority on avian diseases.

Although largely confined to solitary confinement for the remainder of his sentence, Stroud conducted extensive research on birds and authored two influential publications, "Diseases of Canaries" and "Stroud's Digest of the Diseases of Birds." These works earned him recognition and respect among ornithologists.

In 1942, Stroud was transferred to the maximum-security Alcatraz Island prison, where he famously converted his cell into a laboratory and continued his bird research. However, contrary to popular belief, he was not allowed to have birds at the facility. Stroud's life inspired the 1955 movie "Birdman of Alcatraz," starring Burt Lancaster, which depicted his transformation from a violent convict to a respected scientist.

After nearly 54 years of imprisonment, Robert Stroud died on November 21, 1963, at the age of 73, in a federal medical center in Missouri. Despite his crimes, he left a lasting impression on the scientific community through his contributions to ornithology and his significance as a prisoner who achieved intellectual redemption.