Foster dad Murphy could send eaglet into the world close to Father's Day

World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park says the bald eagle and his adopted charge doing well
Murphy the Eagle made news headlines when he swapped a rock he had adopted for an orphaned eaglet, now thriving from his paternal nature
Murphy the Eagle made news headlines when he swapped a rock he had adopted for an orphaned eaglet, now thriving thanks to Murphy's paternal nature. Photo credit Photo Courtesy World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, Missouri

At the beginning of April, the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri was called on to rescue a tiny Bald eaglet.

The nest had been destroyed in a storm.

Another long-time resident of the sanctuary was the perfect adoptive parent for the orphan. That Bald eagle -- 31-year-old Murphy -- had such strong paternal instincts, he had been taking care of a rock in his enclosure as if it were an egg.

"So that's where you start to think that, ok, you've got an eagle in captivity acting very parental and you have a baby eagle that needs care and it needs to be raised properly," World Bird Sanctuary Executive Director Roger Holloway says they decided to put the pair together, and the story made headlines across the country.

Officials at the World Bird Sanctuary were hoping the tiny eaglet would imprint on resident Murphy when they introduced the pair in early April.
Officials at the World Bird Sanctuary were hoping the tiny eaglet would imprint on resident Murphy when they introduced the pair in early April. Photo credit Photo courtesy World Bird Sanctuary

"That was, that was pretty amazing because it is obviously a lot different to go from the caring and incubation of a rock to then being face to face with a real eaglet of your own kind," says Holloway. "But the hormones and nesting behavior for bald eagles is really strong for both sexes."

The eaglet is doing so well, the sanctuary is working on the next stages of development -- full flight and hunting. They've secure a large tank for fish and are preparing an enclosure. "So it will actually then be flying from one end to the other and it's gonna have to hit the perches." Holloway says its critical the eaglet learns to recognize that water -- and fish -- are the source of food.

If there's progress, the young Bald eagle could be ready to fly into the world soon. "We're hoping and we're on a track that we should be able to schedule a release sometime around Father's Day, which would be a wonderful ending to the story." And for Murphy, Holloway is convinced the experience will satisfy his paternal instincts -- at least for this season.

A tiny eaglet arrives at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, after it's nest was blown down in storms - April 2, 2023
A tiny eaglet arrives at the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, after it's nest was blown down in storms - April 2, 2023 Photo credit Photo courtesy World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, Missouri

@2023 Audacy (KMOX). All rights reserved.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, Missouri