History Of
The Spangled Budgerigar Breeders’Association

NO OTHER new mutation has created so much excitement with Budgerigar breeders as the Spangle. The SPANGLED BUDGERIGAR BREEDERS’ ASSOCIATION was formed in 1987 at an inaugural meeting held at The Budgerigar Society World Championship Show in Doncaster on 14^th November. The SBBA is the only specialist club catering exclusively for the Spangle Budgerigar in the United Kingdom. Membership is open to anyone in the UK and overseas who wishes to keep, breed and exhibit the Spangle Budgerigar.

Membership

The benefits of membership, apart from the friendly and helpful guidance officers can offer, include the Spangle Review, the official journal of the SBBA, sent to all paid up members twice a year in Spring and Autumn. It provides club news and up-to-date information about the club and the Spangle variety. The Association’s Badge is available at a cost of £2.50 (plus a 1^st Class stamp for p&p UK & Europe, or plus £1.20 p&p other countries). The Spangle Handbook is available at a cost of £3.00 (plus 50p for p&p for UK & Europe or plus £1.00 for overseas). The handbook documents the history of the Spangle Mutation, the formation and history of the SBBA and gives details on genetics and colour breeding, and the exhibition and breeding of the Spangle Variety. The Annual General Meeting incorporating a Spangle Day is held in April, when old and new members meet to decide on club policies and exchange Spangle chat.

Patronage

The Association also offers to members the best patronage that can be granted to open and annual shows where classes are included for Spangles. On payment of a fee by the promoting society the levels of patronage include: Championship Plus Patronage which consists of twelve rosettes for best Spangle and best young bird in show, best Spangle any age and young bird in each section. Championship Patronage which consists of six rosettes for best Spangle any age and young bird, and for best young bird in each section, and four diplomas for best Spangle any age in each section, and Promotional Patronage where two rosettes for best Spangle any age and young bird are on offer to the smaller and annual members shows. Specials are also allocated for the junior section. Regional Championship Patronage (Area Society Shows and Special Shows) receive a more comprehensive range of rosettes.

SBBA Club Show

The first Club Show was held in 1989 in conjunction with The Budgerigar Society World Championship Show where separate classes for Spangles were allocated for the first time. It was also the first time that Challenge Certificates were awarded exclusively to this variety. Among the specials on offer to fully paid-up SBBA members are the 25 club trophies.

Spangle Classes

Since the 1990 show season, all BS Area and Championship shows are provided with classes for Spangles because of the Challenge Certificate allocation. Classes are worded for "Any Variety Spangle inc. Double Factor" in cocks and hens. In 1997 separate classes for "Any Variety Double Factor Spangle" in cocks and hens were introduced at shows above the BS Championship patronage. Specialist and Rare Shows and The BS Club Show also separate the colours and put on classes for "A.V. Spangle Green Series", "A.V. Double Factor Green Series Spangle", "A.V. Spangle Blue Series" and A.V. Double Factor Blue Series Spangle" in both cock and hen classes. Also, The BS Club Show offer Challenge Certificates for the "Best Spangle Green Series" and the "Best Spangle Blue Series".

There is also a priority order for exhibiting Spangles as laid down by The BS; Crest, Spangle, Dominant Pied, Recessive Pied, Yellow-face and Any Other Colour.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SPANGLE MUTATION

The mutation first appeared in 1974 in an aviary of a fancier in Traralgon, Victoria, Australia, who was breeding on the colony system. Soon after that the variety was established by another fancier from the same area. The original fancier confirmed that the mother of the first Spangle was a Dark-Eyed Clear White. The father could have been a Dominant Pied split for Recessive Pied who was occupying the same nest box as that hen. A few years later a young Swiss took some of these birds with him from Australia, where he was residing, to Switzerland, when visiting his parents. These were sold to two fanciers in Germany, and the Spangle arrived in the UK in the late seventies from that initial European source. They were outcrossed to top quality stock and soon the variety was established on the show bench winning top major specials.

BREEDING WITH THE SPANGLE MUTATION

Here the important features of this variety are the reversal of wing markings from the normal varieties, the spots and tail and to a lesser extent, the cheek patches.

The gene that controls the production of this variety is of a dominant character and can be present in a Single Factor (SF) or Double Factor (DF). Therefore, certain laws can be applied to produce the Spangle variety (regardless of sex) and these are as follows:

Most, if not all, of the Double Factor Spangles appear to the eye as clear from any coloration, similar to the Dark-Eyed Clears. It seems that the presence of this double dosage of the Spangle gene produces an effect whereby the bird’s ability to develop dark pigmentation is greatly reduced. When moulting, some of these double factors will begin to gain some of their hidden plumage, but most importantly they will develop the white iris ring around the eye and the blue cere (in the case of the cocks) so their identification from the Dark-Eyed Clears will become evident. Some Double Factors will show a shaded collar of colour around the neck area.

It is advisable, when pairing Spangles, to use the Normal varieties to preserve the wing marking characteristics. Invariably, the normal Spangle has a better-defined wing marking than that of the Opaline or Cinnamon, but there have been some very good examples of quality Spangle Opalines and Spangle Cinnamons exhibited on the show bench.

THE BUDGERIGAR SOCIETY’S COLOUR STANDARDS FOR SPANGLE

The new Colour Standard of this variety as laid down by the Budgerigar Society in 1994 and revised in 1998 is as follows:

SPANGLE LIGHT GREEN

Mask: buttercup yellow, ornamented by six evenly spaced large round black throat spots with yellow centres, the outer two being partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The buttercup yellow of the mask extending over the frontal and crown, to merge with the black undulations at the back of the head. The frontal and crown should be clear and free from all markings. Cheek patches: violet, silvery white or a mixture of both. General body colour: rump, breast, flanks and under-parts; bright grass green of a solid and even shade throughout. Markings: on cheeks, back of head and neck; black with a well-defined buttercup yellow edge and on wings each feather buttercup yellow edged with black plus a further buttercup yellow edge. Primary wing flights: buttercup yellow with a minimal black edge. Primary tail feathers: buttercup yellow or yellow edged with black. Feet and legs: blue/grey mottled, fleshy pink or a mixture of both. Eyes: black with a white iris.

SPANGLE DARK GREEN

As above but with a dark laurel green body colour.

SPANGLE OLIVE GREEN

As above but with a deep olive green body colour.

SPANGLE GREY GREEN

Mask: buttercup yellow, ornamented by six evenly spaced large round black throat spots with yellow centres, the outer two being partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The buttercup yellow of the mask extending over the frontal and crown, to merge with the black undulations at the back of the head. The frontal and crown should be clear and free from all markings. Cheek patches: grey, silvery white or a mixture of both. General body colour: rump, breast, flanks and under-parts; grey green of a solid and even shade throughout. Markings: on cheeks, back of head and neck; black with a well-defined buttercup yellow edge and on wings each feather buttercup yellow edged with black plus a further buttercup yellow edge. Primary wing flights: buttercup yellow with a minimal black edge. Primary tail feathers: buttercup yellow or yellow edged with black. Feet and legs: blue/grey mottled, fleshy pink or a mixture of both. Eyes: black with a white iris. (Note: there are light, medium and dark shades of Spangle Grey Green).

SPANGLE SKYBLUE

Mask: clear white, ornamented by six evenly spaced large round black throat spots with yellow centres, the outer two being partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The clear white of the mask extending over the frontal and crown, to merge with the black undulations at the back of the head. The frontal and crown should be clear and free from all markings. Cheek patches: violet, silvery white or a mixture of both. General body colour: rump, breast, flanks and under-parts; pure deep skyblue of a solid and even shade throughout. Markings: on cheeks, back of head and neck; black with a well-defined clear white edge and on wings each feather clear white edged with black plus a further clear white edge. Primary wing flights: clear white with a minimal black edge. Primary tail feathers: clear white or clear white edged with black. Feet and legs: blue/grey mottled, fleshy pink or a mixture of both. Eyes: black with a white iris.

SPANGLE COBALT

As above but with a deep rich cobalt blue body colour

SPANGLE MAUVE

As above but with a deep mauve body colour.

SPANGLE VIOLET

As above but with a deep intense violet body colour.

SPANGLE GREY

Mask: clear white, ornamented by six evenly spaced large round black throat spots with yellow centres, the outer two being partially covered by the base of the cheek patches. The clear white of the mask extending over the frontal and crown, to merge with the black undulations at the back of the head. The frontal and crown should be clear and free from all markings. Cheek patches: grey, silvery white or a mixture of both. General body colour: rump, breast, flanks and under-parts; grey of a solid and even shade throughout. Markings: on cheeks, back of head and neck; black with a well-defined clear white edge and on wings each feather clear white edged with black plus a further clear white edge. Primary wing flights: clear white with a minimal black edge. Primary tail feathers: clear white or clear white edged with black. Feet and legs: blue/grey mottled, fleshy pink or a mixture of both. Eyes: black with a white iris. (Note: there are light medium and dark shades of Spangle Grey).

DOUBLE FACTOR SPANGLE YELLOW (green series)

Mask, frontal, and crown: buttercup yellow. There should not be any visible spots on the mask. The frontal and crown should be clear and free from all markings. Cheek patches: silvery white. General body colour: light, medium, dark or grey yellow throughout dependent upon the number of dark factors or grey factor present in the genetical make-up, free from any odd green feathers or green suffusion is the ideal but slight collar of colour round the neck is acceptable. Wings: buttercup yellow free from black or grizzled ticking or green suffusion. Primary wing flights: slightly paler than body colour. Primary tail feathers: slightly paler than body colour. Cere: blue in cocks, brown in hens. Feet and legs: blue/grey mottled, fleshy pink or a mixture of both. Eyes: black with a white iris.

DOUBLE FACTOR SPANGLE WHITE (blue series)

This conforms to the standard for Double Factor Spangle Yellow as above except in the following details:- Colour: pure white throughout. General body colour: free from any odd blue or grey feathers or blue or grey suffusion is the ideal but slight collar of colour round the neck is acceptable. Wings: free from any black or grizzled ticking or blue or grey suffusion.

NOTE

It is recognised that the Spangle variety may be combined visibly with all other varieties with the exception of Dark-Eyed Clear and all should be exhibited in the A.V. Spangle class with the exception of Spangle Crested varieties which should be exhibited in the Crested classes only.