Bringing a bird's weight down prior to training and hunting is crucial for several reasons, particularly those directly related to the bird's physical condition and performance. When a falcon's weight is reduced to an optimal level, it enhances its ability to fly quickly and effectively. A lighter bird has greater agility, acceleration, and endurance, all of which are essential for successful hunting.
This practice also helps in managing the bird's overall fitness. A bird that is slightly under its ideal weight is often more active, motivated, and responsive, which is particularly important when it comes to both training and hunting scenarios. While other factors, such as hunting drive and adaptability to human handlers, are important in their own right, the immediate effect of weight management is most pointedly related to the bird's flying capability during hunts.
The other options, while they may have merit, do not directly address the immediate impacts of weight management on flight performance, which is why optimizing a bird's weight is primarily focused on achieving better flight outcomes in hunting situations.