McKeever and Judson, the falcon pair residing at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, have welcomed three new chicks. The first chick emerged on April 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m., followed by two more overnight. Mother McKeever fed her offspring for the first time at around 6:30 a.m. the next day. By Friday afternoon, one egg remained unhatched.
The Hamilton Falconwatch, a dedicated volunteer group overseeing the falcons at this nesting site since 1995, uses a webcam to monitor the raptors. Once the chicks start practicing flying, volunteers take shifts patrolling the downtown area to assist them if they encounter any difficulties.
Pat Baker, the senior monitor of Falconwatch, mentioned in March that the group has successfully aided over 75 chicks in fledging. Typically, the chicks are banded in late May for conservation purposes. This process involves experts attaching identifying markers to their legs inside the hotel. The young falcons usually begin flying in June, marking the peak activity period for Falconwatch.
McKeever and Judson have been nesting on the 18th floor of the hotel since 2022, raising a total of 14 chicks, including Charlton, Lawfield, Simcoe, and Winona. McKeever originated from Windsor, Ontario, born on the Ambassador Bridge in 2019, while Judson fledged in Buffalo, New York, in 2018. Notably, Judson is the descendant of Madame X and Surge, who nested on the Sheraton for extended periods.
Peregrine falcons, recognized as the fastest animals globally, were previously endangered in Ontario due to the pesticide DDT. Although they are now classified as a species of special concern, efforts like those of the Hamilton and Windsor groups play a key role in their recovery. In 2024, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation highlighted the positive impact of these community monitoring initiatives in urban areas, where peregrines are surpassing their rural counterparts in breeding success.