McKeever and Judson, the falcon pair residing at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, have welcomed three new chicks. Hamilton Falconwatch, a volunteer organization dedicated to monitoring and safeguarding falcons at this nest since 1995, reported that the first chick hatched on April 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m. Subsequently, two more chicks hatched overnight, and mother McKeever fed her offspring their first meal around 6:30 a.m. the following day. By Friday afternoon, one egg was still awaiting hatching.
The Hamilton Community Peregrine Project, known as Falconwatch, utilizes a webcam to observe these birds of prey. Volunteers keep a close eye on the chicks as they start to fly, providing assistance if they encounter difficulties or fall. Falconwatch has aided in successfully fledging over 75 chicks, as mentioned by senior monitor Pat Baker in a previous interview with CBC Hamilton.
Typically, Falconwatch bands the chicks in late May, a process where experts affix identification markers to the birds’ legs for conservation purposes. The fledglings usually begin flying in June, which is the peak period of activity for Falconwatch.
Since 2022, McKeever and Judson have made their nest on the 18th floor of the hotel, raising a total of 14 chicks, including the recent ones named Charlton, Lawfield, Simcoe, and Winona. McKeever was born on the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor in 2019, while Judson fledged in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2018, being the grandson of past Sheraton nest inhabitants, Madame X and Surge.
Peregrine falcons, recognized as the fastest animals globally, were once endangered in Ontario due to the pesticide DDT. Presently considered a species of special concern, they remain potentially at risk but are not classified as endangered. Ontario’s recovery strategy for peregrine falcons emphasizes community monitoring efforts by groups such as those in Hamilton and Windsor, contributing significantly to the success of urban peregrines over their rural counterparts, as highlighted by the Canadian Peregrine Foundation in 2024.