Spangle causes the markings on the wings and tail to be reversed. On the wings, instead of the normal black feathers with white edges creating the normal striping pattern, the feathers are mostly clear (yellow or white) with a thin black stripe at the edge. Sometimes the spangle mutation causes a little bit of the body color to show up between the stripes on the back of the head. Unlike the opaline, spangle does not cause the body colors to spread throughout the feathers of the neck and wings. However a budgie can be both spangle and opaline, causing a unique pattern of color dissipating through the wings.

Genetically double-factor spangles are all yellow or all white (depending on base color). You can tell a budgie is double-factor spangle because its irises lighten normally with age. Comparatively, lutinos/albinos have red eyes and dark-eyed clears have dark plum eyes throughout their lives.

Basic Genetics:
Spangle - dominant
Normal - recessive
Details on spangle genetics...

	photo of "Diesel" submitted by Karen
The wing markings of the spangle variety are reversed: they are mostly white with thin black stripes along the edges. Compare to the normal budgie seen below.

A spangle budgie that is also opaline will have a pattern of color through the wings.

photo courtesy of Barrie Shutt

A genetically double-factor spangle budgie is all clear (all yellow or all white) with normal eyes (black with light irises at maturity).