New Bears' stadium would impact birds
New Bears' stadium would impact birds
How the team can salvage the project from an avian point of view.
The proposed new stadium for the Chicago Bears would have a deadly impact on migrating birds, but the team can address this problem by implementing forward-thinking architectural provisions. At first glance, a new glass structure directly on the lake likely would kill thousands of migrating thrushes, warblers, vireos, and more that utilize the shoreline as a migratory corridor. The western shore of Lake Michigan is a critical path for birds making their way north to breeding grounds as far away as the area around Hudson Bay.
The existing Solder Field poses less of a threat because it is surrounded by opaque concrete. Glass may still be a viable option for the new stadium with the application of patterns that deter birds from attempting to fly through. Further, turning off the interior lights of the stadium during migration—and avoiding scheduling games during peak times—would reduce collision numbers.
The unveiling of renderings and a stadium proposal arrives just six months after a deadly migration event at McCormick Place just south of the Bears’ site. The area is surrounded by important migratory bird sites like Grant Park, Northerly Island, and the Burnham Wildlife Corridor. The death of hundreds of birds made national headlines and has led to renewed efforts to turn off the lights at McCormick and to encourage the city to adopt more sustainable measures for buildings. An effort that has yet to result in mandatory protections.
The Bears are a charter NFL franchise and though they have many woes on the field under the McCaskey Family’s ownership, they can do the right thing and make sustainability a prominent feature of the new stadium. They can avoid the missteps the Minnesota Vikings made when they opened U.S. Bank Stadium, a glassy structure that still generates outcry from birders for its deadly design—and that stadium is landlocked at that. There’s a wonderful analog to our north at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, which adopted an approach that would be safe for birds while being no less a stunning feat of architecture.
The City of Chicago and the Bears are saying the right things about expanding green space around the stadium and the nearby Museum Campus. All parties involved can take this a step further and earn accolades from Chicago’s numerous bird enthusiasts by incorporating bird-friendly design in this important new project for our city.