Groups: The Vikings Stadium Kills Birds

The new Vikings stadium has yet to prove a killer for NFL rivals but it is certainly racking up bird kills according to the Audubon Society and other environmental groups. That modern glass exterior appears to be killing an alarming number of birds and groups are complaining that the stadium is continuing to “study” the problem while the dead birds mount. This stadium seems truly star-crossed. We recently discussed how the stadium has been found to be hazardous to hearing.

The U.S. Bank Stadium cost an estimated $1.061 billion.Taxpayers forked over roughly 500 million of that amount from state and city coffers.

The Audubon Chapter of Minneapolis, Minnesota Citizens for the Protection of Migratory Birds, and Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary have all raised the alarm over the bird kills. Birds are hitting the 200,000 square feet of clear and reflective glass. Volunteers found 60 dead birds.

The groups estimate that as many as 500 birds die annually due to the glass exterior of the stadium. The stadium is right in the path of a heavy migratory path called the Mississippi Flyway, a bird migration route stretching from Canada to South America.

Now it is well known that I am a Bears fan but the only thing that dies in Soldier Stadium is hope.