Being a parent is a blessing; one male bald eagle also seems to know this.

Murphy, a bald eagle, was rescued from the wild and has been a long-term resident at the World Bird Sanctuary (WBS) in Missouri. His injuries are too severe and the shelter could not risk sending him out to the wild again because he may not survive.

The eagle may be unable to go out there and build a family of its own, but that did not stop Murphy from wanting to become a parent. For the past few days, the eagle is seen to be guarding something on the ground.

Murphy has covered a huge rock with leaves and branches.
Kerstin, a caretaker at the sanctuary, noticed the activities of the bald eagle and took note of its behavior. Its actions indicate that Murphy is trying to hatch the said rock, thinking that it is an actual egg.

The woman always sees that Murphy is dedicated to looking after the rock and really treating it like an egg that was about to hatch. It was evident in his actions that the eagle wants to become a parent and is diligently watching over the rock that it chose.

Male bald eagles in the wild also take part in looking after their young.

This is why it is not surprising that Murphy shows these instincts as well. He firmly believes that the rock is a real egg, and he is waiting patiently for it to hatch and become the young eagle that the intends to raise.

Unfortunately, everyone in the sanctuary knows the truth and it is heartbreaking to let the eagle wait on something that will never happen.

The sanctuary did something to keep Murphy from heartbreak and presented a gift that would make him really happy.
Strong high winds blew an eagle’s nest on Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, and two chicks were blown away from the nest. One of the chicks did not make it, but the other one was brought to the sanctuary to recover.

It was the perfect opportunity for Murphy’s parenting skills to be put to an actual test. The chick had no parent while Murphy was dreaming of having a little one of his own. Letting the two meet each other is a great stroke of luck for both of them.

The sanctuary was quick to share the new update with the world.

Murphy met the young eagle for the first time and it was certainly worth sharing.

“Bald Eaglet 23-126 was let out of the baby jail for a full introduction to Murphy yesterday and so far things are going very well! A staff member watched initial interactions through a peep hole to make sure the eaglet was safe. It took Murphy an hour before he approached 23-126 and examined with curiosity.”

The chick was quite full when they met so Murphy had to wait the next day to give it a proper meal thru his own way of parenting. Seeing the bald eagle bond with the tiny newcomer is such a sweet and adorable view.

While everyone is excited to know the name of the eaglet, the sanctuary decides not to name it for a specific reason.

“We do not name our wildlife for superstitious reasons! The rehab superstition is that named patients are cursed and either end up dying or being non-releasable.”