When was a medieval falconer most likely to enseam their bird?

A medieval falconer would most likely enseam their bird when it was too fat. Enseaming is a process used to help manage a bird's weight, particularly in circumstances where the bird has become overweight and may not be performing optimally. This technique involves playing with the amounts of food given to the bird, often restricting them to encourage a healthy weight that allows for greater agility and responsiveness during hunting.

A bird that is too fat may struggle to catch prey, as excess weight can inhibit its ability to fly swiftly and accurately. Therefore, enseaming helps maintain the bird's physical condition, ensuring that it is fit for hunting.

In contrast, other scenarios like hood shyness, capturing the bird, or being sharp-set (meaning the bird is hungry) relate to different training or handling issues, but they do not directly involve the need to enseam the bird for weight management as effectively as dealing with an overweight bird does.