May Bird

Mrs Bird is the cook for Crawley House that Isobel and Matthew Crawley brought with them when they moved to Downton from Manchester.

She temporarily replaces Mrs Patmore when she leaves to stay at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London to get surgery for her cataracts. Daisy try to ruin Mrs Bird's cooking for the Granthams, but Mrs Bird sensed something was wrong and lied to Daisy about which food was going to the family and which one was going for the servants's meal. When the meal is terrible in taste, she angrily accuses Daisy. But after Daisy confesses and explains why she did it, Mrs Bird forgives her, admiring Daisy's loyalty to Mrs Patmore. Later at large party, when Mrs. Patmore returns, both cooks work together to prepare the food.

She and Crawley House's bulter, Molesley, start a weekly soup kitchen for veterans and later get help from Mrs Patmore and Daisy Mason and then Cora Crawley and O'Brien as well.