The Spangle first appeared in 1980 in Europe, they were small birds with small feathers, but with very intensive colour and markings, dominant already before with Australian Yellowfaces. The advantage of the Yellowfaces lies in the double intensive yellow colour, from the Spangle European Spangle Yellowface.

In the beginning the Spangle Australian Yellowface became popular until breeders noticed a problem with the Australian Yellowfaces the blue and grey are intensive yellow, that they looked like green, but looked grey green, to get away from it. It was easier to cross the European Yellowface in the Spangle but the colour was still there.

Through the sorting of Yellowfaces in show class 12 the Yellowfaces were highly positive to breed from Spangle Yellowface, and also from European and Australian Yellowfaces.

Suddenly the breeders noticed a small improvement in the Spangle, it was very obvious at the best European Championship 1994 in Karlsuhe, were a Spangle European Yellowface Grey hen from Ralph Jenne and at the AZ show in 1994 in Kassel also a Spangle European Yellowface Grey hen from Gunter Kupzyk, both were voted best Spangle. Furthermore a European Yellowface light blue from Bernd Grunke, best young bird GG at the AZ land show Niderrheim Border and club winner with light blue at the AZ show 1994 in Kassel.

This shows clearly that a Spangle Yellowface in the blue and grey line has greater winning chances as a white face. The advantage lies in the combination of the Yellowface colour of the feathers. It does not matter if the Spangle is Normal, Cinnamon, Opaline Cinnamon or Opaline higher Spangle colour in Cinnamon take on a stronger colour.

The end result if two of the same Spangle is the Yellowface, because of the colour contrast, against the white face Spangle, it has the advantage of course, for the Double Factor in the white Yellowface.

By crossing from European Yellowface or Australian to Spangle in the Green line have the green line breeds and intensive Yellowface colour with an intensive green body colour. The crossing from European and Australian Yellowfaces in the Spangles resulted in the breeding of:

25% Spangle Yellowface
25% Whiteface
25% Normal Yellowface
25% Normal whiteface.

Therefore, it is a possible through breeding for the AZ DWV show to be able to show the birds in 7 different classes:

1. Normal (whiteface)
2. Cinnamon (whiteface)
3. Opaline Cinnamon (whiteface)
4. Opaline (whiteface)
5. Double Factor Spangle White / White Yellowface
6. Yellowface Normal / Cinnamon / Opaline Cinnamon or Opaline
7. Spangle (whiteface), Spangle Yellowface

This means that from 24 show classes, by splitting within the seven dark coloured birds, there are 30 possibilities.

 This article has been translated from German. Editor.

Issue No. 26 ~ Winter 2000