Three peregrine falcon chicks born late April atop the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton, Ont., now have names.
The Hamilton Community Peregrine Project (HCPP), which keeps an eye on the species in the city, banded the three females on Wednesday and dubbed them Blakeley, Westdale and Stinson — all named after city neighbourhoods.
The chicks, which started to hatch around April 26, beat a 2020 record set for the earliest eggs ever seen by a pair living atop the Sheraton during a mating season.
It’s the third set of newborns for parents McKeever and Judson who arrived in downtown Hamilton in 2022.
Last year the couple had four chicks, three males named Kirkendall, Gibson and Stipley, as well as a lone female, Delta.
Falcons have now nested and had offspring on the 18th-floor “scrape” of the Sheraton for 30 years, producing more than 70 babies.
Senior monitor Patricia Baker said at that height, they’ve discovered a new set of complications recently that are adding to the risk the young falcons have to face.
“It seems to be much windier downtown in that area than it was before,” Baker said.
“Whether it’s the anterior effect from the new McMaster (University) building or in combination with climate change, it’s so noticeable and that’s very worrying for this year.”
Baker said last year’s chicks were blown out of the nest a few times and had to be rescued.
Hamilton’s Falcon Watch is seeking volunteers to watch over the newly banded birds up until they take flight.
An orientation session will be held at the David Brayley Health Sciences Centre next Thursday evening.
Interested volunteers can reach out by email to volunteers@falcons.hamiltonnature.org.