Which hawk is known to be larger, with females significantly larger than males?

The Goshawk is known for its significant sexual dimorphism, which means that females are notably larger than males. In many bird species, males and females are similar in size, but in the case of the Goshawk, the females can be almost 30% larger than the males. This difference in size can be an adaptation for reproductive reasons, allowing females to have larger body sizes to support egg production and incubation.

The Goshawk's larger size also plays a role in its hunting strategy and prey selection, allowing it to take down larger prey compared to its smaller male counterpart. This sexual dimorphism is a distinct characteristic of the species and is a key factor in its identification.

Other hawk species mentioned do exhibit some size differences between males and females, but none to the same extent as the Goshawk. For example, while Red-tailed Hawks do show some size variation, it is much less pronounced. Sharp-shinned Hawks are smaller overall, and American Kestrels are significantly smaller than Goshawks, with minimal size difference between genders. Thus, the Goshawk stands out as the largest, with females significantly larger than males, making it the correct answer.