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 falcon McKeever fed her offspring their inaugural meal at around 6:30 a.m. on Friday. By Friday afternoon, one egg was still awaiting hatching.
Operating under the title of the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project, Falconwatch employs a webcam to observe these birds of prey. Volunteers stand ready to assist the fledglings as they practice flying, patrolling downtown streets in shifts to aid any stranded or fallen chicks. Falconwatch has effectively aided over 75 chicks in successfully fledging, as reported by senior monitor Pat Baker in March to CBC Hamilton.
The group typically bands the chicks in late May, a process involving affixing identifying markers to their legs for conservation purposes after bringing them inside the hotel. The chicks usually take flight in June, coinciding with Falconwatch’s peak activity period.
McKeever and Judson have made their nest on the hotel’s 18th floor since 2022, raising a total of 14 chicks to date, including the most recent ones named Charlton, Lawfield, Simcoe, and Winona. McKeever was hatched in Windsor, Ont., on the Ambassador Bridge in 2019, while Judson fledged in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2018, with lineage tracing back to the long-time residents Madame X and Surge at the Sheraton.
Peregrine falcons, recognized as the fastest animals globally, were previously endangered in Ontario due to DDT pesticide use. They are now classified as a species of special concern, indicating a potential risk but not as endangered.
Ontario’s recovery strategy for peregrine falcons advocates for community monitoring by organizations like those in Hamilton and Windsor. In 2024, a representative from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation in Toronto highlighted the contributions of such groups in urban peregrine conservation success compared to their rural counterparts.