Which McDonald's advertising character was named after the chain's breakfast menu and introduced in 1980?

Birdie the Early Bird was the McDonald's advertising character introduced in 1980 to promote the chain's breakfast menu.

Birdie was designed as a yellow bird and became the first major McDonald's character specifically associated with breakfast. Her name refers to getting up early, matching the morning period that McDonald's was trying to make a stronger part of its identity. She appeared in McDonaldland advertising alongside other established characters.

Birdie is sometimes confused with earlier McDonaldland figures because the characters shared the same fictional setting. She was also distinct from Ronald McDonald, whose branding role covered the broader restaurant rather than breakfast alone. The character helped McDonald's make breakfast a recognizable daypart within its overall brand.