Birdie the Early Bird

Birdie the Early Bird
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Vital Information
Species:	Bird
Gender:	Female
Hair Color:	Brown
Character description:	Created to promote breakfast items in McDonald's television commercials, wears a pink jumpsuit, flight goggles and scarf
Character information
Appeared in:	Has appeared in many TV/print ads for McDonald's from 1980-2003

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 is voiced by Russi Taylor 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, Ronald McDonald 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 blink-able eyelids and move-able eyes. Her lips could now move as she walks or run 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.

Gallery

To view the Birdie the Early Bird gallery, click here.