Bernie Sander's flock of supporters went wild on Friday when the candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination greeted an uninvited guest in the middle of a rally in Portland.
That guest? A little, green bird that fluttered onto his lectern, leaving Sanders laughing and the crowd on its feet. Sanders and the bird, which has since been dubbed "Birdie Sanders," look at each other for about 10 seconds, before it flies away.
The Vermont senator's rallies are known for exuberant crowds, but the bird got as loud a cheer as Sanders does.
When the crowd quieted down, Sanders – an emphatic environmentalist – noted some symbolism. "I know it doesn't look like it, but that bird is really a dove asking us for world peace. No more wars!" he said, to another ovation.
Twitter and Facebook users almost instantly made the moment go viral, and #BirdieSanders began trending.
The Sanders campaign quickly started tweeting about it – as did the TV show "Portlandia," a sketch comedy show that parodies Portland's hipster scene. Perhaps its most famous catch phrase is "put a bird on it," from a sketch about extra-eager bird enthusiasts, which didn't go unnoticed by the show’s Twitter account.
