Bird Visits Bernie Sanders Rally, Sparks Delight On Twitter

Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Dykes/AP Steve Dykes/AP

At a rally in Portland, Ore., on Friday morning, Bernie Sanders had an unexpected visitor.

And the crowd went wild.

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the video:

The Oregonian YouTube

Bernie's evident delight, the crowd's roaring applause and the tiny bird's savoir faire were social media gold. The moment prompted a Twitter response that was completely opposed, in content and tone, to, well, the other big political conversation on social media right now.

And nearly a full day after the bird made its appearance, #BirdieSanders is still trending.

I'm tired of the top 1% controling 99% of the wealth in this country. #BirdieSanders pic.twitter.com/8KJ2MwD3wy — Sophia London (@Sophiasmusings) March 26, 2016

It's quite clear who Mother Nature endorses for president (#BirdieSanders) pic.twitter.com/byuVaidUUO — Chris Merle (@clmerle) March 26, 2016

The location of the avian appearance is prompting amusement, too — because of course it was Portland.

IFC's sketch comedy show Portlandia, starring Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, famously featured a sketch called "Put a Bird On It" in their first episode.

In a case of life imitating sketch comedy, adding a bird to a political rally brought mesmerized delight — but also, as one reporter noted, could be messy.