Hamilton peregrine falcon chick faces uncertain future after 2 'mishaps' in 9 days

Two "mishaps" over a nine-day period have left one of four peregrine falcon chicks that hatched in Hamilton in May seriously injured and facing an uncertain future.

Leah Schwenger, one of the lead monitors with Hamilton Falcon Watch, said the chick, named Lawfield, crashed into an object on June 11 while learning to fly and fell to the ground.

Schwenger said the bird was quickly rescued and taken to The Owl Foundation in Vineland, Ont.

"It was in the evening that they examined him. He was very feisty, very alert and they gave him a good bill of health but it was decided to keep him overnight just to be sure," Schwenger told CBC Hamilton on Sunday.

The following day, Lawfield was brought back and released at the top of the downtown Sheraton hotel to be reunited with his parents McKeever and Judson, and three siblings — Charlton, Winona and Simcoe.

The four peregrine chicks hatched in a nest on the 18th floor of the hotel on May 3. 

On the morning of June 19, the Falcon Watch team noticed that only three chicks were visible — Lawfield was missing. 

Schwenger said volunteers were alerted later that day about a falcon inside the inner courtyard at the Hamilton Convention Centre. The volunteers soon discovered that it was Lawfield.

The bird was captured and once again taken to The Owl Foundation.

"It was determined that he had an injured right shoulder and they felt he would need some time to rest up and heal. He was also very dehydrated," Schwenger said.

She said volunteers also learned that Lawfield had an eye injury and "a bit of a head tilt … and the people from The Owl Foundation felt that maybe this happened during his first incident."

After more than a week at the The Owl Foundation, "things were not progressing as they had hoped," Schwenger said.

Injured peregrine transferred to National Wildlife Centre

On Sunday, Lawfield was briefly transferred to the National Wildlife Centre in Caledon, Ont., for further assessment, Schwenger said, noting that it was too soon to say whether or not Lawfield would fly again.

"We're hoping if he can't fly out in the wild again that perhaps he could either stay at The Owl Foundation or perhaps go to Mountsberg [Conservation Area] and be kept there and either used for educational purposes or breeding purposes," Schwenger said.

"So, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of his life if things don't go well."

Peregrines have adapted to living in cities

Senior wildlife rehabilitator and zoologist at The Owl Foundation Annick Gionet said peregrines have adapted to living in cities, taking advantage of the tall building "cliffs" and abundance of prey like pigeons. 

But Gionet said "buildings pose many hazards" that the birds are not built for. 

"The wing shape of a forested species is different than a fast open sky flyer. There are confusing elements like mirrored glass  to learn to avoid and wind tunnel effects between buildings to try to navigate through," Gionet wrote in an email to CBC Hamilton. 

"Even if they do come down safely from their first flight off the ledge, there are dangers below from fast moving vehicles or predation from urban predators like the domestic cat or other hawks or owls. Over time, those fledglings that are smart and quick to learn these important dangers will hopefully pass on their abilities to future progeny. Those individuals that struggle or fail to, will not."

Gionet said The Owl Foundation has often been involved with at least a fledgling a year; checking them over to see if their mishap led to significant injury. 

"Their best chance of learning how to be a peregrine is with their families," Gionet said.

Lawfield was returned to The Owl Foundation following the assessment at the National Wildlife Centre.

"He will undergo two weeks of cage rest and then have his joints rechecked .... They will [then] try him in small flights to monitor his movements. If he shows good symmetry then they will gradually increase his flight space. He is looking at least another month of care." Schwenger said.

Sunday was the last day for  Falcon Watch for the current set of chicks.

"Our other three chicks are just doing fabulous. I was there last night and they were soaring so high on the thermals that you could only see them with binoculars," Schwenger said.

"We feel that they're going to be fine on their own. We haven't seen them catch prey, but we have seen them chase after birds and start to develop those skills. 

"So, our chicks will stay around the city for July and August and they'll continue to hunt with their parents and learn how to do it successfully. And then come late August, early September, they'll leave us. We think that the parents sort of drive them off and say time to find your own territory and they'll be gone," Schwenger added.

Because of their banding, the volunteers are hopeful they will at some point get an update on where the birds end up.

Last year, McKeever and Judson, successfully fledged two sisters: Blakeley, and Stinson. They had a third chick, Westdale, who died from an illness in May before she could fly. 

Before that, they fledged eight more: Auchmar, Balfour, Dundurn, Wynnstay, Delta, Gibson, Kirkendall and Stipley.

Born in Windsor, Ont., on the Ambassador Bridge in 2019, McKeever is named after Kay McKeever of The Owl Foundation. 

Judson arrived in Hamilton in 2021. He fledged in Buffalo, New York, in 2018, and is the grandson of Madame X and Surge, who nested on the Sheraton for 13 and nine years, respectively.