Which McDonald's character was marketed as the chain's first breakfast mascot?

Birdie the Early Bird was marketed as McDonald's first breakfast mascot.

McDonald's introduced Birdie in 1980 to promote the chain's growing breakfast business. The yellow bird wore flight-related clothing and was associated with getting up early, directly connecting the character to morning meals.

Her arrival reflected an important change in McDonald's branding. The chain had long been identified primarily with hamburgers and lunch, but breakfast advertising required a distinct identity and a mascot that could make morning visits memorable.

Birdie is sometimes confused with the older McDonaldland characters because she was eventually incorporated into that broader family. Her defining branding role, however, was promoting breakfast, especially during the period when McDonald's was expanding its morning menu.