New Book - Birds Gone Wild (Janelle Molony, 2026)

[AuthorJanelleMolony]

New Book Tells When Arizona Had Feather Fever

This month, Arizona readers can have their fill of the most unusual stories from the state’s territorial past. We’re talking about the new nonfiction book, Birds Gone Wild (And Other Stories of Arizona Ostrich Ranching) from critically acclaimed author and historian Janelle Molony (Released Jan. 1, 2026, M Press Publishing).

D. C. Cogburn, of the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch at Picacho Peak has said the new book is “fascinating!” and multi-award-winning Arizona historian Jan Cleere calls it “a delightful romp among these flightless creatures!”

The new book claims to be a humorous pop history of “feather farms” in Arizona, from boom to bust. Readers will be amused by the stories of cowboy foibles tales of ostriches running wild through the state. And they’ll be amazed by facts relating to how serious of a business this silly-looking bird created. For example, did you know that Arizona was once as famous for its ostriches as the Grand Canyon? And, at the peak of the industry’s boom, Maricopa County alone housed 80% of the nation’s entire population of the enormous two-toed beasts. Arizona even boasted having the largest single collection of ostriches in the world, which has been unmatched to this day.

Stories explore the introduction of ostriches to the American Southwest, what life was like for an “ostrich boy,” the surge of ostrich tourism (before the state had any zoos or other amusement parks), and the full story of the Great Arizona Ostrich Drive (when one rancher decided to march hundreds of ostriches across the Phoenix Valley in a marketing stunt gone terribly wrong). There is also a good amount of myth busting with scientific explanations and real-life examples. The book ends with a surprising new opportunity for these so-called “murder birds” to contribute to the betterment of the world in the field of medicine.

Birds Gone Wild is “a fun and offbeat look at Arizona’s past,” says Heidi Osselar, retired professor of history at ASU. About the tone, author Molony has cautioned, “This is not a book for kids. Yes, it’s funny, but sometimes history can get messy or incredibly weird.” As a bonus, the book includes access to two films and instructions for how to cook ruby red steaks from the state’s most prized livestock.

Janelle Molony is a multi-award-winning author and journalist, popularly known on YouTube as the “Hottie Historian.” She is an Arizona native and a proud ASU graduate. She can be found on YouTube @JanelleMolony or on other social platforms @AuthorJanelleMolony. Learn more at JanelleMolony.com/BirdsGoneWild