Which McDonald's character was introduced in 1980 as the chain's first major female mascot?

Birdie the Early Bird was introduced by McDonald's in 1980 as a major female mascot.

Birdie promoted McDonald's breakfast menu during a period when the company was making breakfast an increasingly important part of its business. Her name and design connected her directly with the idea of rising early to eat breakfast.

She joined the established McDonaldland cast, which already included figures such as Ronald McDonald, Mayor McCheese, Grimace, and the Hamburglar. Birdie's bright yellow appearance and aviator-style clothing made her visually distinct from those earlier characters.

Birdie is sometimes confused with later breakfast advertising figures or with generic cartoon birds used in restaurant promotions. Her defining place in McDonald's branding history is as the early-bird character created specifically to support breakfast marketing. She remained associated with the brand's fictional advertising world for decades.