A cherished bald eagle, famously known for sitting on a rock as if it were an egg, is being remembered this Saturday after the 33-year-old bird passed away following severe storms in Missouri.
Murphy, who outlived the typical eagle lifespan of 25 years, died last week at the World Bird Sanctuary located in Valley Park, Missouri. Officials from the sanctuary suspect that the powerful storms, which recently destroyed homes and resulted in the loss of 12 lives, may have contributed to Murphy’s unfortunate passing.
Although the sanctuary provides shelters for birds to endure such weather conditions and has plans in place for various environmental challenges, no evacuation was carried out as the area was not directly threatened by tornadoes. Instead, three other birds sharing Murphy’s shelter managed to remain unscathed.
Upon performing a necropsy, a veterinarian discovered that the bald eagle had suffered head trauma. “We cannot ascertain whether Murphy was startled and accidentally hit his head while dismounting a perch or whether the weather elements like wind and rain were involved,” according to a statement posted by the sanctuary on social media.
Residing in the Avian Avenue exhibit of the sanctuary, Murphy became quite the sensation in 2023 for his unusual behavior of incubating a rock. His parental instincts were later rewarded when he fostered a young eaglet that he helped rehabilitate. That eaglet was successfully released back into its natural habitat, and Murphy took another eaglet under his wing, with plans for its release into the wild slated for this summer.
In commemoration of Murphy’s impact, the sanctuary expressed, “We intend to name the future eagle nurturing enclosure ‘Murphy’s Manor,’ ensuring that his legacy will be remembered for years to come.”
