Songbird lands at Bernie Sanders meeting

This video from Oregon in the USA says about itself:

Bernie Sanders ‘put a bird on it’ at Portland rally

25 March 2016

A bird flew on the podium at the Bernie Sanders rally in Portland held at the Moda Center.

A commenter on this video says the bird was a female house finch.

This video from that Sanders rally says about itself:

#BirdieSanders: Footage Emerges of the Bernie Bird Before She Shot to World Stardom

Credit: Taylor Tunes

Rarely is the show stolen from Bernie Sanders, but that’s exactly what a tiny bird did during the Vermont senator’s event in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, March 25. The female house finch perched herself on Sanders’ lectern as he addressed thousands of people, soon receiving a standing ovation.

The moment went viral with tens of thousands of people tweeting about the encounter using the hashtag #BirdieSanders.

One rally-goer captured the bird on camera moments before she shot to global stardom. The bird appears to be listening intently to Sanders’ address before flying off to get a closer look at the senator.

This 2012 video from the USA says about itself:

Male house finch sings to nesting female

A female house finch has built a nest in our window awning. I decided to put a webcam in the window and record some of their activities. I enjoyed watching the male sing to his mate, unfortunately my dog started barking and scared him away.

It is like the house finch at the meeting wanting to say: ‘Mr Sanders, if you will become president, then please don’t forget us!’

A commenter on the Sanders meeting video wrote:

It was supposed to be a bald eagle landing on his podium, but they’re all busy attacking Trump.

And another commenter wrote:

Bernie Sanders is an advocate of animal welfare and ensuring animals’ humane treatment. He has co-sponsored several pieces of legislation to protect the interests of animals and has recently received a 100 percent rating from the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF).

From daily The Independent in Britain:

Bernie Sanders interrupted by tiny bird and both get standing ovation

Mr Sanders was campaigning ahead of three contests on Saturday

Andrew Buncombe

26 March 2016

The US presidential campaign has seen plenty of protesters trying to disrupt rallies, or even storm the stage.

But until Friday night in Oregon, it had not witnessed a tiny bird land on the podium and earn a standing ovation. The beneficiary of the bird’s intervention – both because it was his rally, and as a result of his splendid response when the bird hopped onto his lectern – was Bernie Sanders.

“I think, I think there may be some symbolism here,” Mr Sanders told the crowd in Portland, Oregon, which roared and cheered.

“I know it doesn’t look like it, but that bird is really a dove asking us for world peace. No more wars.”

A frequent critic of American military interventions abroad, Mr Sanders voted against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and has often pointed to contrast between himself and rival Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail. “She was wrong, I was right,” he said.

Mr Sanders encounter with the bird – which triggered the Twitter hashtag #BerdieSanders – came as he campaigned ahead of votes in three states on Saturday where he is hoping to make up ground on Ms Clinton.

Democrats vote to select a presidential candidate in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

While few public polls are available, all three contests on Saturday are being conducted with caucuses, a format that has favored the Vermont senator.