Dear Polydora and Simon,
I measured a female and male goshawk humerus (both Dutch material) in
the GIA collection, Groningen (in mm):
GIA 3849 female: GL 102.5; Bp 23.1; SC 8.8; Bd 19.2
GIA 2950 male: GL 89.4; Bp 19.5; SC 7.2; Bd 16.6.
I would conclude that Polydora's partial skeleton is of a female. The
sexual dimorphism is very pronounced - There is no overlap. In the early
medieval Burg Oldenburg (Ostholstein, Germany) I had for Bp of female
goshawk the following data: 23.4, 23.3 and 22.2 mm; and the same
measurement of male goshawk: 19.6, 17.8 and 20.0 mm.
Ulna Bp female: 13.4 and 11.7 mm; male 10.8 and 10.9 mm (W. Prummel
1993, Offa-Bücher 74, Wachholz Verlag, Neumünster).
Perhaps the Iberian goshawks are slightly smaller than those in Britain,
Netherlands and Germany? Because of female sex: animal was used in hawking?
Best wishes, Wietske
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