McKeever and Judson, the falcon pair residing at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, have welcomed three new chicks. The initial chick hatched on April 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m., followed by two more overnight. Mother McKeever fed her offspring for the first time around 6:30 a.m. the next day. By Friday afternoon, one egg remained unhatched.
Operating as the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project, Falconwatch utilizes a webcam to observe these birds of prey. Volunteers monitor the chicks as they learn to fly, assisting if they encounter difficulties or fall. Pat Baker, Falconwatch’s senior monitor, mentioned in March that the project has successfully aided in the fledging of over 75 chicks.
The group typically bands the chicks in late May, a process where experts affix identifying markers to their legs inside the hotel for conservation purposes. The fledging usually occurs in June, marking Falconwatch’s busiest period.
Since 2022, McKeever and Judson have made the 18th floor of the hotel their nesting site, raising a total of 14 chicks, 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, being the grandson of previous Sheraton nesters Madame X and Surge.
Peregrine falcons, recognized as the fastest animals globally, were formerly endangered in Ontario due to the pesticide DDT. They are now classified as a species of special concern, indicating a potential risk but not being endangered.
Ontario’s recovery strategy for peregrine falcons emphasizes community monitoring, such as that conducted in Hamilton and Windsor. The Canadian Peregrine Foundation stated in 2024 that these initiatives have led urban peregrines to surpass their rural counterparts in productivity.