Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Not A Metaphor: Raven Tears Beating Heart Out Of Pigeon On Subway Platform


By

Jake Offenhartz

Published Jun 27, 2017

Modified Jun 27, 2017


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jake Offenhartz

Published Jun 27, 2017

Modified Jun 27, 2017


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

In what's surely not a dark, graphic omen for our struggling mass transit system, a hungry raven was recently caught on video plucking the beating heart from a pigeon on the platform of the Kings Highway station. It probably doesn't mean anything! Everything is FINE.

Warning: This video is not for the squeamish.

The video was sent to us by a tipster earlier this afternoon, hours after an A train derailment at 125th Street sent some panicked riders scrambling into the tunnels. But it would be foolish to connect these things. One is the very real experience of New Yorkers dealing with a mismanaged and underfunded subway system. The other is just the food chain, with some very good commentary.

"New York City, it's either eat or get eaten," a disembodied voice says, as the video pans to another pigeon standing above the tracks. "He just ate his homey, damn."

The raven then removes what appears to be the gizzard, as the dying pigeon (which, again, is definitely not a symbol for our cratering subway system) flaps its wings for the final time. "Yo, this dude ate his whole stomach out," the unidentified bystander observes.

A train is heard arriving in the station, and the mythological symbol foretelling doom raven yanks out the dying bird's heart and flies away. "Oh sh*t," the man concludes.

Oh sh*t, indeed.

Tagged

kings highway

MTA

raven

subway


Jake Offenhartz

Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers

Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.

By

James Ramsay

Published Oct 13, 2026 at 8:48 a.m. ET


Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island

The ambulance driver stayed at the scene and was not charged with a crime.

By

Brittany Kriegstein

News

Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island

The ambulance driver stayed at the scene and was not charged with a crime.

By

Brittany Kriegstein


With election 3 weeks away, Hochul and Blakeman to square off in lone NY governor debate

By

Jon Campbell

NYC's taxi union teams with Uber, hedge fund demand healthcare after 4 driver deaths

By

Stephen Nessen

and

Ramsey Khalifeh

Man shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys say

By

Liam Quigley


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .