Which McDonaldland character was introduced in 1980 as a bird-themed mascot for McDonald's breakfast?

Birdie the Early Bird was introduced in 1980 as McDonald's bird-themed mascot for breakfast promotion.

The character was designed to support McDonald's growing breakfast business and to make morning menu items more memorable to children. Birdie's name directly referenced being early, linking the character to the time of day when breakfast was served.

Birdie joined an existing cast of McDonaldland characters, including Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese. These figures gave McDonald's advertising a shared fictional setting rather than presenting every promotion as a standalone product commercial.

Birdie is sometimes mistaken for a general mascot or for an original McDonaldland character. Ronald McDonald remained the company's primary mascot, while Birdie had the more specific role of representing breakfast and morning occasions.