# Pūkeko
Pūkeko, also known as the Australasian swamphen, is a long-legged New Zealand marsh bird whose chicks have oversized feet that caught the internet's eye in late 2020. A juvenile pūkeko photo shared by Redditor /u/Intellobang on /r/PicsOfUnusualBirds moved to Tumblr the following spring, and by July 2022 users were pasting the awkward chick onto Windows XP Bliss wallpapers under the word 'DAMN!!!!!'.
## Origin
The earliest known video appearance of a baby pūkeko is an April 16, 2008 YouTube clip from a New Zealand energy ad that gathered over 46,000 views in sixteen years[6]. The meme form took shape over a decade later when Redditor /u/Intellobang posted a juvenile pūkeko to /r/PicsOfUnusualBirds on December 4, 2020, captioned 'Going through an awkward phase,' which collected over 2,000 upvotes[1].
Around March 2, 2021, Tumblr user Cybis reposted the same image, and the Tumblr version gathered over 47,000 notes in the three years that followed[2].
- **Platform:** Reddit / Tumblr (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Unknown
- **Date:** 2020
## Overview
Edited versions highlight the chick's awkward silhouette, with Tumblr users stretching its legs even longer or placing the body against a flat green hill[4]. A notable variant by Tumblr user @neotrances put the baby bird onto the Windows XP Bliss wallpaper and topped the image with the word 'DAMN!!!!!,' turning a plain nature photo into a mock-dramatic desktop joke[5].
Captions often address the pūkeko in a disappointed-parent voice, as in @onlinebeast's post reading 'Big stupid feet, and you're not presentable. Not one bit'[4]. The 'DAMN!!!' template later spread outside Tumblr, with Instagram user @liliumbirder sharing a version featuring the chick against a red forest fire with the text 'DAMNATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' to a private Discord in March 2023[6].
## How to Use
Typical pūkeko edits start with a photo of a juvenile bird, which is already comically proportioned, and either exaggerate the legs further or set the chick against a familiar backdrop such as the Windows XP Bliss hills[5]. Captions often use short, punctuation-heavy exclamations like 'DAMN!!!' or scolding one-liners that address the bird directly[4].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Pūkeko?
Pūkeko, also known as the Australasian swamphen, is a long-legged New Zealand marsh bird whose chicks became the subject of a Tumblr-driven meme centered on their oversized feet starting in late 2020[1].
### Where did Pūkeko come from?
The meme traces to a December 4, 2020 Reddit post on /r/PicsOfUnusualBirds by /u/Intellobang showing a juvenile pūkeko, which Tumblr user Cybis reposted around March 2, 2021[2].
### What does Pūkeko mean?
Pūkeko is the Māori name for the Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), a bird native to New Zealand and parts of Australasia[6].
### How do you use Pūkeko?
People edit baby pūkeko photos by stretching the legs further or pasting the chick onto backdrops like the Windows XP Bliss wallpaper, often adding captions such as 'DAMN!!!!!'[5].
### Is Pūkeko still popular?
The meme stayed active into late 2024, when X user @notSIug's November 12 hatchling post drew over 130,000 likes within two days[8].
## References
1. [https://www.reddit.com/r/PicsOfUnusualBirds/comments/k6z756/going_through_an_awkward_phase_juvenile_p%C5%ABkeko/]()
2. [https://rubysunstone.tumblr.com/post/649578660839456768/this-is-just-what-a-guy-looks-like-just-a-regular]()
3. [https://x.com/budypals/status/1440480725539561477]()
4. [https://www.tumblr.com/onlinebeast/678379936836452352/big-stupid-feet-and-youre-not-presentable-not]()
5. [https://www.tumblr.com/neotrances/689213205383446528]()
6. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pukeko]()
7. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yRPug7vo7k]()
8. [https://twitter.com/notSIug/status/1856524817941573663]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/pukeko
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