St. Paul calls for bird-safe Vikings stadium glass

The City of St. Paul has joined the flock calling for so-called bird-safe glass on the new Vikings stadium in Minneapolis.

The council expects to vote on a resolution Wednesday that encourages the Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority to put in bird-safe glass on the stadium, which they say would add $1.1 million to the stadium project cost.

• Related: Birders threaten lawsuit over new Vikings stadium glass

The resolution says St. Paul hosts many seasonal migratory birds that rely on the metro area as a stop over during the spring and fall. Council President Kathy Lantry is one of the sponsors of the resolution.

"The city of Minneapolis passed a very similar resolution a couple weeks ago and in order to be supportive of their efforts and something that makes sense, especially to do now while the building is just under construction and I'm sure they're in the process of ordering the glass, now's the time to do it," Lantry said.

Both cities implemented a federal treaty for the conservation of migratory birds in 2011, which promotes efforts like turning out lights in skyscrapers at night during migration season to prevent fatal bird collisions.