His name is Murphy and clearly this wannabe father is a natural parent. He lives in a bird sanctuary and had been caring for a rock as if it was an actual bald eagle egg.

According to the Hasan Jasim website, Murphy, the bald eagle, can’t fly because of a now healed broken leg, so he’s kept safe at the World Bird Sanctuary in the St. Louis, Missouri area.

Soon he started caring for a rock when he was experiencing a spring hormonal surge compelling him to brood. This can take the form of caring for egg-like objects.

Murphy built a nest in his enclosure, and staff soon realized that Murphy was incubating a small rock as if it were an egg. Like any good bird parent, Murphy gently cared for the rock and protected it from harm. He would defensively squawk at other birds who came nearby.

Thanks to a lucky coincidence according to the Smithsonian Magazine, the staff at the World Bird Sanctuary took in a little eaglet who fell from its nest during a winter storm.

The staff removed “baby rock” and started the bonding process between the two bald eagles.

He was taking such good care of his rock that we decided that he would be our best bet. Murphy began to respond to the eaglet’s peeps. A week after their introduction, the cage was removed so the two could interact more closely.

As a matter of fact, according to Smithsonian Magazine, they knew Murphy was going to be a wonderful father to the eaglet when Murphy took his dinner of a whole fish and started ripping pieces of it apart and feeding it to the baby.

Murphy finally had to part with the baby who recuperated nicely and was eventually released. Now, he’s at it again taking care of another orphaned, injured eaglet.

Here’s video of a Murphy with his first eaglet being released and now the new bald eagle he’s helping to raise and recuperate.

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