A pair of nesting falcons named McKeever and Judson at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton 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 ones for the first time around 6:30 a.m. the next day, with one egg remaining unhatched as of Friday afternoon.
The Hamilton Falconwatch, a volunteer group dedicated to monitoring and protecting falcons at the nest since 1995, uses a webcam through the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project to observe the birds of prey. Volunteers take shifts to assist the fledging chicks once they start practicing flying, ensuring they don’t get stuck or fall. Falconwatch has helped fledge over 75 chicks successfully, with plans to band the chicks in late May for conservation purposes.
McKeever and Judson have been nesting on the 18th floor of the Sheraton Hotel since 2022, having raised a total of 14 chicks, including Charlton, Lawfield, Simcoe, and Winona. McKeever was born in Windsor, Ontario, in 2019, while Judson fledged in Buffalo, New York, in 2018. Peregrine falcons, known as the world’s fastest animals, were once endangered in Ontario due to DDT pesticide use but are now classified as a species of special concern.
The recovery strategy for peregrine falcons in Ontario involves community monitoring by groups like the Hamilton Falconwatch and others across the province. The efforts of such groups have contributed to urban peregrines surpassing their rural counterparts in breeding success, as highlighted by the Canadian Peregrine Foundation in 2024.
