A chick was given to a male bald eagle attempting to hatch a rock

A bald eagle sanctuary in Missouri gave an injured male bald eagle named Murphy a chance to raise a chick. Murphy had been trying to hatch a rock for months, thinking it was an egg.

Murphy lost the ability to fly years ago due to an injury. The sanctuary staff at World Bird Sanctuary noticed that Murphy was acting like he was protecting an egg nest. He decorated the area with sticks and leaves and sat on a large rock in the center as if it were an egg he was hatching.

_{World Bird Sanctuary / Facebook}

Murphy cared for the “rock egg” for weeks, rearranging sticks and chasing away other eagles. The sanctuary staff knew the rock would never hatch, but they let Murphy continue with his nest to make him happy. They gave Murphy chick-raising supplies like nesting materials so he could prepare a home for a potential new baby bird.

_{The rock / World Bird Sanctuary / Facebook}

Murphy is not lonely, the staff insisted. He lives with four other bald eagles. He seemed to want to raise a chick on his own. He did not seek out a mate or help from the other eagles. He was happily spending his days tending to the rock egg.

Unfortunately, a bald eagle nest with two chicks recently blew over in a storm, leaving one chick orphaned. The babe had nowhere to go and would not survive on its own. The sanctuary staff had an idea to give Murphy a chance at fostering the baby chick.

_{The rock / World Bird Sanctuary / Facebook}

Though Murphy had never raised a chick before at 31 years old, the chick had the best chance of survival with him. They removed the rock egg from Murphy’s enclosure and introduced the babe.

Murphy examined the new bird cautiously at first. He didn’t feed the chick for hours. But the next day, the chick left its nest to be closer to Murphy. And then it happened – Murphy fed the baby chick!

_{The rock / World Bird Sanctuary / Facebook}

The sanctuary staff cheered, “It’s happening!!! MURPHY FED THE BABY!!!” They will give Murphy and the chick privacy to bond, hoping Murphy’s paternal instincts kick in. Murphy’s rock may never hatch, but he now has a chance to raise a baby eagle.