Which McDonald’s character was named the company’s first female advertising mascot in 1980?

Birdie the Early Bird was named McDonald’s first female advertising mascot in 1980.

McDonald’s introduced Birdie to promote the company’s breakfast menu, which was becoming a more important part of the business. Her name referred to the early morning and to the breakfast daypart. She was depicted as a yellow bird wearing pink clothing and aviator-style accessories in many advertisements.

Birdie joined the established McDonaldland cast, which already included Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese. Her role expanded the fictional world while giving breakfast a dedicated character.

Birdie is sometimes confused with later McDonald’s promotional characters or with generic cartoon birds used in advertising. Her distinguishing historical fact is her connection to the breakfast launch and her status as the first female mascot in the McDonaldland advertising cast.