Bird perches on podium with Bernie Sanders; Portland crowd goes wild

A little bird stole the show at Bernie Sanders’ rally in Portland, and gave new meaning to a phrase made popular by the TV show “Portlandia” – “put a bird on it.”

The Democratic candidate smiled and the audience of more than 10,000 went wild when a tiny bird joined Sanders at the podium on Friday.

Without missing a beat, the Vermont senator said even though it didn’t look like a dove, it must have been one that came to ask for world peace.

The video of Sanders and his feathered friend went viral on social media, with the hashtag #BirdieSanders.

The phrase “put a bird on it” is a line that was used in the TV show “Portlandia” as a reflection of the city’s quirky ways.

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Bird perches on podium with Bernie Sanders; Portland crowd goes wild."