The world of art takes on so many forms that we are often appreciative, if not completely mesmerized by the availability. We can get bored with certain seemingly repetitive styles (like similar portraits, unless they introduce a novel way of representation). But as humanity in all of us is filled with many means of observation and interpretation, our art can take on vast new meanings and therefore, newer ways of display. New York City is a place where we find an incredible source of personalities predisposed to showcasing artistic differences in impressive ways. Meet one of NYC’s recognized artistic talents, the persona of Mother Pigeon.
Standing Up for the City’s Pigeons
The power behind Mother Pigeon is Tina Piña Trachtenburg, who lives in New York City. She is a street performer and an animal rights activist who is currently in protest of the capture of the city’s pigeon population for the sole purpose of resale and shipping to Pennsylvania. There, the pigeons are used in a live pigeon shoot. She offers a $300 reward for anyone who can supply photos and video with strong identification capability of anyone who is capturing pigeons in Maria Hernandez Park, located in Brooklyn. But she has much more going on in her busy life as Mother Pigeon.
[As a side note, the New York City Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee also opposes practices that involve the release of feral and domesticated pigeons from mechanical traps to be shot at by participants, and the group’s H.B. 1097 (2025–2026) legislation would prohibit the use of live pigeons as targets in trap and block shooting events in Pennsylvania.]
Trachtenburg launched a YouTube channel called Mother Pigeon’s Impeckable Musical Puppet Show. Over the course of a year, she produced 10 videos featuring hand puppets Frankie the Pigeon and Max the Rat. The project also led to the release of nine original songs, along with a bonus reading of her published book which are available on Bandcamp.
She maintains an Instagram account with more than 38,000 followers, as well as a Facebook page. She is most active on Instagram, where she has over a thousand posts documenting her work and advocacy for the city’s pigeons. You can also watch a short YouTube video where she shares, in her own words, what inspires and motivates her work.
