Duolingo's bird icon looks sick. Here's why

The Duolingo icon, Duo, is sick. It doesn't look like Tylenol or NyQuil can make Duo feel better. The only way Duo can heal is if you complete your lesson.

As long as you leave Duo hanging, he's going to suffer. You should probably hop on that lesson now and nurse him back to health.

The popular language-learning app, Duolingo, has been the butt of the joke for years and has become a meme due to the application's incessant notifications. Duo constantly reminds users to complete their 5–10 minute lessons in a language of their choice, encouraging them to continue their streak by completing one lesson a day and reminding them to keep track of their progress.

Many Duolingo users noticed the happy-go-lucky bird had become sickly- and crippled-looking in the application's icon. Users speculated that it's to grab their attention and complete their daily lessons, including continuing learning streaks. 

Has Duolingo changed its icon before?

In October 2023, Duo appeared to be melting like a popsicle in its icon. In April, the iconic bird aged, looking wrinkly and glum , stirring conversation on social media.

According to Distractify , a spokesperson at Duolingo said at the time that the purpose of the new limited-time icon was to encourage learners to open the app.

Since it's not the first time it's happened, maybe our friend Duo just wants attention and is encouraging us to learn new languages. Well, he always does, it's nothing new. You might've seen him in your notifications, in social media comments, and maybe even in your sleep.

It's a clever trick. Who wouldn't want to open an app with a miserable green owl on it just to see what all the fuss is?

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why does the Duolingo icon look sick? It's not bird flu