In downtown Hamilton’s Sheraton Hotel, McKeever and Judson, a falcon pair, have welcomed three new chicks. The first chick hatched on April 30 at around 7:30 p.m., followed by two more overnight. Mother McKeever fed her young around 6:30 a.m. the next day, with one egg still remaining unhatched as of Friday afternoon.
The Hamilton Falconwatch, a volunteer group overseeing the falcon nest since 1995, uses a webcam to monitor the birds. Once the chicks start practicing flying, volunteers patrol downtown streets in shifts to assist if needed. Falconwatch has aided in successfully fledging over 75 chicks, with plans to band the chicks later in May for conservation purposes.
McKeever and Judson have been nesting on the hotel’s 18th floor since 2022, raising a total of 14 chicks, including recent ones named Charlton, Lawfield, Simcoe, and Winona. McKeever was born in Windsor, Ontario, in 2019, while Judson fledged in Buffalo, New York, in 2018, with lineage connecting back to long-time nesters at the Sheraton.
Peregrine falcons, known as the fastest animals globally, were once endangered in Ontario due to DDT pesticide use. They are now classified as a species of special concern, indicating a potential risk but not endangered status. Ontario’s recovery strategy includes community monitoring efforts like those in Hamilton and Windsor, which have contributed to the success of urban peregrines over rural populations, as noted by the Canadian Peregrine Foundation in 2024.
