Hi all!

I have a pair and what I think is one if their babies... although I have no way to know for 100% sure because the breeder had to sell all of their birds quickly because of an illness and I got them from a friend who took alot of the birds in to find new homes for them and was unable to speak to the origional breeder Pic 1 and 2 are of the male when he was a baby, 3 and 4 are of him now going through his first moult and the last is of his father I believe.
As you can see in the baby pics he has the normal dark spangle markings on his back and wings (He is the one all the way to the right) but now that he is moulting what used to be black markings is turning to green as you can see in the 3nd and 4th pic?? With each new feather they are changing color...Its not black and green... just coming in green where it used to be black? Has anyone else had this happen? All of my other spangles went through a moult and came out with the same original colors... but this guy is confusing me! Have you had this happen? Any ideas?

And as for the father I was told he was probably a opaline spangle when I posted pics of him here months ago when I got him, since he had very little dark markings... but its looking like the baby is going to be just like him, with the normal spangle pattern but just with green instead of black, and this baby for sure did not have any of the opaline pattern before this moult. Do you still think the dad is opaline or just has changed colors too like this baby and is not?

Any help and Ideas would be appreciated!!! Thank you in advance

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This is normal Lindsey i have a few going like this

Thank you Barrie I'm glad someone else knows what I am talking about!

Is it common for them to do this? I cant find anything on it anywhere. Will all of their babies do the same thing? Is this accepted as just a normal spangle?

I think it is very pretty myself but just had no idea he would do that

The body colour showing in the wings is called opalescence. It is not uncommon for birds (not just spangles) to show more opalescence when they are mature than they had when they were babies. It does not mean that the bird is opaline but often males that show a lot of opalescence are split for opaline

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We have many spangles in the UK Nev that are difficult to identify on the show bench because they are showing opaline markings yet are normals, in my eyes we have ruined another variety budgie.


This chap now has not a bar on his head and a wonderful clear saddle






When he was a baby

Thank you for that explination Nev This is my first time breeding the one pair so I will find out if he is indeed split to opaline hopefully.

Thank you for the pics Barrie! That looks so much like the ones I have... Do you find that they loose their throat spots too usually or that it changes them? Do yours end up having no black markings at all? And is it usually inherited by their chicks?

That is very interesting what you said Barrie and Nev.

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We are breeding them with less throat spots Lindsey , as i have said before we are spoiling the good looks of the spangles

my Honey is a spangle and after her first proper moult she lost most of the blue in her checks - she had this bright blue spot inside a white circle - now there is only a speck of blue in a small white circle

Thats so sad Is there any way to stop this from hapening? Whats the best thing to do breed them to ones that have strong spangle markings?