What happens if a hawk is severely overfed?

• A. Increased speed
• B. Sharper eyesight
• C. Longer wings
• D. Sluggishness

Answer: (D)

Overfeeding a hawk leads to obesity, which increases body mass without adding proportional muscle or power. That extra weight makes takeoff harder, slows acceleration, and reduces endurance during a hunt. Even though a hawk’s eyesight is excellent, the bird won’t hunt effectively if its flight performance is hindered by excess fat, so sluggishness is the natural outcome. Increased speed or longer wings aren’t produced by simply eating more; speed depends on lean, well-conditioned flight muscles and light body mass, while wings are fixed in length by anatomy. A balanced diet and proper conditioning help maintain the hawk’s optimal hunting performance.