Is This a Pigeon?
Anime screenshot meme of a character misidentifying a butterfly as a pigeon — used for willful mislabeling jokes.
A two-part caption format: something is shown, and a character asks 'Is this a [wrong thing]?' Used to mock bad takes, category errors, or people confidently misreading a situation.
History
Built from an anime still of a character examining a butterfly while asking if it is a pigeon. Know Your Meme tracks the 'Is This a Pigeon?' exploitable as a long-running misidentification joke that peaked again in the mid-2010s on Tumblr and Twitter.
Cultural scores
Editorial estimates of cultural weight — Current Popularity tracks how much people are posting about this now, not historical fame.
Current Popularity = how actively people are posting about this today. Influence = lasting footprint. Cringe = online reception. Brainrot = absurdist energy. Scores last reviewed 2026-07-25. How scoring works
Timeline
Early 2010s
Screenshot begins circulating as a mislabel joke
2016–2018
Peaks as a reusable Twitter/Tumblr template
2019+
Remains a classic 'wrong category' reaction format
Examples
- “Photo of a dog: 'Is this a pigeon?'”
- “Corporate rebrand: 'Is this innovation?'”
Media
Related entries
Culturally linked — not random recommendations.
Two Buttons
MemeThe sweaty 'Daily Struggle' comic — a character stuck choosing between two contradictory red buttons.
Distracted Boyfriend
MemeThe 2015 stock photo turned object-labeling meme — a man glances at another woman while his girlfriend looks shocked.
Drake Hotline Bling / Drakeposting
MemeThe Hotline Bling music-video stills that became the internet's default yes/no preference template — better known as Drakeposting.
Expanding Brain
MemeThe multi-panel 'galaxy brain' template ranking ideas from basic to absurdly enlightened as the brain lights up.
Surprised Pikachu
MemeThe wide-eyed Pikachu reaction face used when an obvious consequence somehow still shocks someone.
Handsome Squidward
MemeSquidward's unnaturally handsome redesign from SpongeBob — and the dramatic fall that resets his face — remixed for years on YouTube.
References
Sources behind this entry. Prefer primary reporting and established culture archives over rumor.
- Is This a Pigeon? — Wikipedia search
en.wikipedia.org