Small woodland hawkAccipiter nisus, of the family Falconidae, order Falconiformes, found in Eurasia and North Africa. It is bluish-grey, with brown and white markings, and has a long tail and short wings. The male grows to 28 cm/11 in long, and the female to 38 cm/15 in. It hunts small birds and mice.
The large star symbolizes the common programme of the Communist Party. The small stars represent the four economic classes: peasants, workers, petty bourgeoisie, and ‘patriotic capitalists’. Effective date: 1 October 1949.