In falconry, the primary reason to wait for the hawk to return to the glove is...

The primary reason to wait for the hawk to return to the glove is to reward it with food. In falconry, positive reinforcement is crucial for training and maintaining the bond between the falconer and the bird. When the hawk returns to the glove, offering food serves as a reward that reinforces the behavior of coming back. This encourages the bird to associate returning to the falconer with a positive outcome, thereby improving the training process and creating a stronger connection.

While bonding with the bird is also an important aspect of falconry, the immediate action of rewarding the hawk with food is directly tied to reinforcing behaviors essential for successful training and hunting. Preparing the hawk for a hunting season and preventing it from flying away are considerations in falconry, but the return to the glove is primarily motivated by the reward system involving food.