Which McDonald's character was created to promote the company's breakfast menu in 1980?

Birdie the Early Bird was created to promote McDonald's breakfast menu in 1980.

McDonald's introduced Birdie as breakfast became a major focus of its restaurant business. Her name directly suggested the morning, and her aviator-inspired appearance reinforced the idea of getting to McDonald's early. She gave the breakfast menu a character distinct from the brand's older hamburger-centered mascots.

Birdie joined McDonaldland's established cast, which had been built around Ronald McDonald and characters such as the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. Her role was commercial as well as entertaining: she helped children recognize breakfast as a separate McDonald's occasion.

This question is distinct from asking when Birdie first appeared. The character debuted in 1980, and that debut was specifically tied to breakfast promotion. Later McDonald's breakfast advertising used additional characters, products, and seasonal campaigns, but Birdie remains the character most directly associated with that launch.