McKeever and Judson, the falcon couple residing at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, have welcomed three new chicks. Hamilton Falconwatch, a volunteer group 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. The remaining two chicks followed suit overnight, with mother McKeever feeding her newborns for the first time around 6:30 a.m. the next day. By Friday afternoon, one egg was still awaiting hatching.
Operating under the name Hamilton Community Peregrine Project, Falconwatch utilizes a webcam for bird observation. Once the chicks start to fledge and practice flying, volunteers take shifts patrolling downtown streets to assist them if they encounter difficulties. Pat Baker, Falconwatch’s senior monitor, mentioned to CBC Hamilton in March that the program has successfully facilitated the fledging of over 75 chicks.
Typically, the group bands the chicks in late May, a process where experts affix markers to the birds’ legs for conservation purposes. The chicks are brought indoors for this procedure at the hotel. The fledglings usually begin flying in June, which marks the peak activity period for Falconwatch.
McKeever and Judson have been nesting on the 18th floor of the hotel since 2022 and have raised 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. Judson is the grandson of Madame X and Surge, who had nested at the Sheraton for extended periods.
Peregrine falcons, known as the fastest animals globally, were previously endangered in Ontario, mainly due to the pesticide DDT. Presently classified as a species of special concern, they still face risks but are no longer endangered. Ontario’s recovery strategy for the species emphasizes community monitoring by groups like Hamilton’s and those in Windsor. In 2024, the head of the Toronto-based Canadian Peregrine Foundation highlighted the significant role such groups play in the urban peregrine population’s success compared to their rural counterparts.