AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The "Is this a pigeon?" meme features a still image from a 1990s Japanese anime TV series called The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird. In this image, the protagonist, a humanoid android, is shown looking at a butterfly with a puzzled expression. The English-translated subtitle "Is this a pigeon?" is displayed, despite the character actually looking at a butterfly, not a pigeon. This scene is commonly used online to depict situations of misidentification or general confusion.

OriginWho did it first?

The image used in the "Is this a pigeon?" meme comes from an episode of The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird, specifically Season 1, Episode 3, which first aired in Japan in February 1991. The scene features Yutaro Katori, a human android, incorrectly identifying a butterfly as a pigeon while trying to learn about Earth's nature. The meme gained traction on social platforms like Tumblr, where users shared the image to highlight humorous or absurd misunderstandings. The original scene can be viewed on YouTube.^[1]

Origin: 1991