Missouri lost an ambassador, role model and community pillar in the violent storms that swept the country on 15 March: a 33-year-old bald eagle named Murphy.

Murphy captivated hearts far beyond the midwest and gained national attention in 2023 when he incubated a rock, attempting to hatch it, in a stunt the internet loved. The World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, where he lived, rewarded his instincts, allowing him to foster an eaglet that he nurtured back to health. Another eaglet was placed into his care, and is expected to be released midway through the summer.

“He’s not the stepdad, he’s the dad who stepped up,” one Reddit user posted, in a thread that was started just before his death.

Sanctuary officials believed the harsh storms which swept through Missouri and other states including Kentucky and Alabama, may have contributed to his death. According to a full necropsy performed by the veterinarian, he sustained some form of trauma to his head.

The typical lifespan of a bald eagle is 20-25 years and Murphy surpassed that. The sanctuary credited his “resilience, spirit and dedication as a foster dad”, in a statement they posted to social media after his death.

In December 2024, the bald eagle officially became the national bird of the US, despite having been used on government documents, currency, flags and public buildings since 1782. The bill, passed by Congress and signed into law by Joe Biden, authenticated the eagles place as a national emblem.

“For nearly 250 years, we called the Bald Eagle the national bird when it wasn’t,” said Jack Davis, Co-Chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center in a statement after the bill passed. “But now the title is official, and no bird is more deserving.”

Some may say Murphy was the perfect example of a bald eagle who lived up to his greater calling as the national bird of the US.

In honor of his legacy, the sanctuary plans to name a future eagle fostering aviary Murphy’s Manor, so they can continue to remember him for decades to come.

“Murphy will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on in the memories of those who loved him,” said the sanctuary.