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This Stadium Is Invisible To Birds — And That Can Be Deadly

The Audubon Society found dozens of birds flew into the glass on this NFL stadium and died during the 2016 fall migration.

By: Grant Suneson

Posted at 3:38 PM, Mar 04, 2017

and last updated 2017-03-04 15:38:14-05

A new NFL stadium is causing big problems for Minnesota wildlife. The Vikings' U.S. Bank stadium is reportedly a deadly obstacle for migrating birds.

The building is reflective. Some birds can't distinguish it from a wide-open sky and hit it at full speed, which can be fatal.

It's especially dangerous because Minneapolis is in a migration path called the Mississippi Flyway. Thousands of birds travel that route between South America and Canada.

A new Audubon Society report found 60 dead birds from 21 species around the stadium during fall migration. That could be a fraction of the actual number.

But as far back as 2014, the team was warned about the dangers when 77,000 people signed a petition asking the Vikings to consider a bird-safe exterior.

But that didn't happen, and it doesn't seem like it's going to change. The Vikings haven't mentioned any plans to alter the stadium.