The falcon pair, McKeever and Judson, have welcomed three new chicks at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton. Hamilton Falconwatch, a dedicated volunteer group overseeing the falcons at this nest since 1995, reported the first chick hatched on April 30 at approximately 7:30 p.m. The two additional chicks hatched overnight, and mother McKeever fed her young around 6:30 a.m. the next morning.
By Friday afternoon, one egg still remained unhatched. Operating under the name Hamilton Community Peregrine Project, Falconwatch utilizes a webcam for monitoring the birds of prey. As the chicks start to fledge and practice flying, volunteers take shifts patrolling downtown streets to assist the young falcons if they encounter difficulties.
In an interview with CBC Hamilton in March, Falconwatch senior monitor Pat Baker mentioned the group’s success in helping more than 75 chicks fledge. Typically, the team bands the chicks in late May, a process where experts affix identifying markers to the birds’ legs for conservation purposes inside the hotel. The young falcons usually begin flying in June, marking the peak activity period for Falconwatch.
McKeever and Judson have inhabited the 18th floor of the hotel since 2022, raising 14 chicks to date, 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 Madame X and Surge, who nested at the Sheraton for 13 and nine years, respectively.
Peregrine falcons, known as the fastest animals globally, were previously endangered in Ontario due to the pesticide DDT. Although now classified as a species of special concern, indicating potential risks, they are no longer considered endangered. Ontario’s recovery strategy for the species emphasizes community monitoring by groups like Hamilton’s and those in other cities, with such efforts credited for urban peregrines surpassing their rural counterparts in productivity.
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