McKeever and Judson, a pair of falcons nesting at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, have welcomed three new chicks. The first chick hatched on April 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m., followed by two more overnight. Mother McKeever fed her chicks for the first time around 6:30 a.m. the next day. By Friday afternoon, one egg was yet to hatch.
The Hamilton Community Peregrine Project, also known as Falconwatch, utilizes a webcam for monitoring these birds of prey. Volunteers are on standby to assist the chicks once they start practicing flying, ensuring they don’t get stuck or fall. Falconwatch has aided in successfully fledging over 75 chicks, with plans to band the new chicks in late May. This process involves experts attaching markers to their legs for conservation purposes. The young falcons typically begin flying in June, which is when Falconwatch is most active.
McKeever and Judson have been nesting on the 18th floor of the hotel since 2022, having raised 14 chicks in that time, including Charlton, Lawfield, Simcoe, and Winona. McKeever was born in Windsor, Ontario, on the Ambassador Bridge in 2019, while Judson fledged in Buffalo, New York, in 2018, descending from the renowned Sheraton nesters Madame X and Surge.
Peregrine falcons, known as the world’s fastest animals, were previously endangered in Ontario due to the pesticide DDT. They are now classified as a species of special concern, signifying potential risks but not endangered status. Ontario’s recovery strategy for peregrine falcons includes community monitoring by organizations like those in Hamilton and Windsor. In 2024, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation highlighted the contribution of such groups to the success of urban peregrines over their rural counterparts.