Birdie the Early Bird

Birdie the Early Bird is the first identifiable female character used in McDonald's McDonaldland commercials introduced in 1980 to promote the company's new breakfast items. She is a yellow bird wearing a pink jumpsuit, flight cap and scarf. In the ads she is frequently portrayed as a poor flyer and somewhat clumsy in general.

Birdie was voiced by the late Russi Taylor (voice of Minnie Mouse) and portrayed by Patti Maloney in the McDonald's television commercials and is voiced by Christine Cavanaugh in The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald.

Description
Birdie's origin is explained in one commercial: A giant egg falls from the night sky into McDonaldland, and is found by Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Hamburglar, and the Professor. When the egg won't hatch, Ronald decides to show the egg love. When the egg hatches, she is so happy that she has already made friends and decides to stay in McDonaldland.

From 1980-86, Birdie's pigtails were relaxed, her feet were fixed and did not move, neither did her tongue. Her eyelashes were also thicker like a log. Starting in 1986, Birdie got a revision along with other McDonaldland characters and now had blue articulated eyelids and eyes. Her lips could now move too as she walks or runs and her pigtails stick out to the sides. On occasion beginning in 2000, Birdie wears a blue vest with her look. The color of her beak and legs sometimes change from yellow to orange and reverse.