Spangle Budgies: Appearance, Breeding, Varieties [+PHOTOS]

What is a spangle budgie? A spangle budgie refers to a budgie that has a spangle gene mutation.

A spangle budgie has wing feathers that lost their central black pigmentations, and the feathers have a black or brown inner edge and a base-colored (yellow or white) outer edge.

A spangle budgie has no throat spots or, if present, they appear as single spots on both sides.

In addition, spangle budgies also have tail feathers yellow or white colored with black edges.

Spangle budgies have two variations, such as single factor and double factor spangle budgies.

Single-factor spangle budgie wing feathers have lost their central black pigmentation. The colors in the middle of the wing feathers have been replaced by white or yellow. Besides, the wing feathers have an inner edge that is black or brown, and an outer edge that is white or yellow.

Double factor spangle budgies have almost full yellow or white body color. Body markings and colors (blue, green, gray, or violet) are completely removed, but rarely there is a slight suffusion of body color.

On the other hand, they have the same body features as other budgies such as white iris rings, black eye colors, and violet, silver, or violet-silver cheeks.

How to Identify a Spangle Budgie

To identify a spangle budgie, you must check the wing colors, throat spots, and tail feathers.

The spangle gene usually removes markings and colors from many areas of the body. However, keep in mind that, there are two variations that have different appearances of spangle budgies: single factor and double factor spangle budgies.

Body Color

Spangle budgies have no specific body color. The gene that they have removes pigmentation from many parts of the body. As a result, spangle budgies show their base colors (white or yellow) where the markings and the body colors disappeared.

Although a single spangle gene removes the pigments from particular areas of the body, two spangle genes remove all pigmentation from the body completely.

Wings and Primary Flight Feathers

Spangle budgies are popular with their beautiful wing feathers.

Especially, single factor spangle budgies are more popular than double factor spangle budgies. Besides, the wing feathers of the SF spangle budgies look astonishing with or without other mutations.

The wing feathers of SF and DF spangle budgies differ from each other.

Single-factor spangle budgies have wing feathers that have a base-colored (white or yellow) central area, a black inner edge, and a yellow or white outer edge.

Double factor spangle budgies have fully white or yellow wing feathers. They have no markings on the wing feathers like SF spangle budgies.

Mask & Throat Spots

Spangle budgies have lost their throat spots or, if present, the spots look like tiny dots on each side of the mask. Besides, they have the same mask features as other budgie variations.

Cheek patches

Spangle budgies have different cheek patch colors. Both single-factor and double-factor spangle budgies have different color cheek patches.

Although single factor budgies have violet, silver, or violet-silver together cheek patches, double factor spangle budgies have white cheek patches.

Tails

Spangle budges have base-colored (white or yellow) tail feathers. Besides, some spangle budgies have tails with a slight black edge.

Eyes

Spangle budgies have no different eyes or iris rings than other normal budgies. Both single-factor and double-factor spangle budgies have black eyes with white iris rings.

Cere

Spangle budgies have no different cere or cere color than other normal budgies.

Male spangle budgies have medium to deep blue cere colors, female spangle budgies have white, light blue cere colors. In addition, female budgies have tan cere colors with a crusty surface during the breeding seasons.

Feet and Legs

Spangle budgies have blue, gray, and pink feet and legs.

Spangle Budgie Genetics

Spangle budgie genetics are relatively simple. All spangle budgies have one or two spangle genes that modify the body colors.

What Is Spangle Mutation?

Spangle gene mutation has two alleles, such as spangle and normal genes. The spangle gene is dominant while semi-dominant to the normal gene.

As a result, there are three possible variations: single factor spangle and double factor spangle, and normal.

Single factor spangle budgies have one spangle gene, while double factor spangle budgies have two spangle genes. Besides, both spangle mutation variations have different visual appearances.

What Is Single Factor Spangle Budgie?

Single factor spangle budgie refers to a spangle budgie with a single spangle gene.

Single-factor spangle budgies have wing feathers that have a white or yellow (base-colored) central area, a dark inner edge, and a yellow or white outer edge.

In addition, the single factor budgies have no throat spots. In rare cases, the throat spot is present and looks like dots.

SF spangle budgies are the most popular type of spangle variation. Budgie breeders, and fanciers, usually try to combine the single factor mutation with other popular mutations.

What Is Double Factor Spangle Budgie?

Double factor spangle budgie refers to a spangle budgie with two spangle genes.

The double factor spangle budgies have two spangle genes, resulting in a stronger spangle effect that removes all body markings and body color (green, blue, gray, or olive).

A double factor spangle budgie looks like an albino budgie or a lutino budgie, depending on its base color.

Spangle Budgie Breeding Expectations (Table)

Pairing	Possible Results
Single-factor spangle + normal budgie	50% normal, 50% single-factor spangle
Single-factor spangle + single-factor Spangle	25% normal budgie, 25% double-factor budgie, 50% single-factor budgie
Double-factor spangle + normal budgie	100% single factor budgie
Double-factor spangle + single-factor spangle	50% single-factor spangle, 50% double-factor spangle
Double-factor spangle + double-factor spangle	100% double-factor budgie

How to Breed Spangle Budgies?

To breed a spangle budgie, a breeder needs at least one spangle budgie.

A breeder can pair one single factor or double factor spangle budgie with a normal budgie. As a result, this combination can produce a single-factor spangle budgie.

But, to produce a double-factor spangle budgie, the breeder must pair two spangle budgies. The spangle genes must come from both parents.

Spangle Budgie Vs. Normal Budgie

The differences between normal and spangle budgies are listed as follows:

• Spangle budgies have base-colored central wing feathers, while normal budgies have black-colored central wing feathers.
• Normal budgies have throat spots, while spangle budgies have no throat spots or appear as tiny dots.

Female Spangle Budgie Vs. Male Spangle Budgie

Female and male spangle budgies have no different characteristics caused by spangle gene mutations.

Double Factor Spangle Budgies Vs. Albino and Lutino Budgies

Double factor spangle budgies look like albino and lutino budgies.

Both albino and lutino budgies have an ino gene that removes the body pigmentations. As a result, budgies look like pure white in the blue series or yellow in the green series. The double factor gene mutation shows similar results on a budgie.

Differences between lutino and albino budgies and double factor spangle budgies are listed as follows:

• Albino and lutino budgies have red eyes, while DF spangle budgies have normal black eyes.
• Albino and lutino budgies have fleshy pink color feet and legs, while DF spangle budgies have blue, gray, and pink color feet and legs.
• Lutino and albino budgies have fleshy pink cere colors, while DF spangle budgies have medium to deep blue, white, or light blue cere colors. In addition, all female budgies have tan color ceres with a crusty surface during the breeding seasons.

Spangle Budgie Colors & Varieties

Spangle budgie mutations are popular among many budgie breeders and fanciers.

The single-factor spangle mutation is more popular than the double-factor spangle mutation.

The single-factor spangle mutation produces beautiful appearances when combined with other mutations.

White Spangle Budgie

Green Spangle Budgie

Spangle Olive Green Budgie

Violet/Purple Spangle Budgie

Sky Blue Spangle Budgie

Yellow Spangle Budgie

Grey Spangle Budgie

Spangle English Budgie

English budgies are bigger than normal budgies. There is no difference due to mutations between normal and English budgies.

Spangle Fallow Budgie

Opaline Spangle Budgie

Spangle Pied Budgie

Spangle Rainbow Budgies

A rainbow budgies have opaline, clearwing (whitewing), and yellow or golden face mutations together. Besides, breeders try to add spangle mutation to rainbow budgies.

Spangle Show Budgies

Spangle Budgie Baby

Spangle Split Budgie

The spangle mutation is dominant and semi-dominant to the normal gene. That means a budgie cannot be a split to spangle. Spangle budgies always show spangle characteristics: single-factor or double-factor.

Spangle Budgie Price

Spangle budgies are sold for between $50 and $200 around the world.