CANADIAN GEESE BIRD STRIKE DURING APCH AT 4000 FT.

Narrative

COLD; CLR NIGHT MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L AT ORD. ATIS HAD COMMON REMARK OF BIRDS IN VICINITY OF ARPT BUT NO MENTION OF TYPE OR NUMBERS. APPROX 4000 FT MSL ON LOC WE TOOK WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE 1 BIRD STRIKE ON THE NOSE OF THE ACFT; BOTH WINDSHIELDS COVERED WITH REMAINS. ALL FLT AND ENG INSTS NORMAL SO WE CONTINUED APCH AND MADE NORMAL LNDG. AT THE GATE INSPECTION SHOWED THAT WE HAD HIT 10-15 CANADIAN GEESE WITH RADOME; FUSELAGE; WING; AND HORIZ STABILIZER DAMAGE. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE TO RPT THE STRIKE; THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD SO MANY GEESE IN THE AREA THAT YOU COULD SEE THEM ON THE RADAR! HAD A REMARK TO THIS EFFECT BEEN ON THE ATIS I MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE CAUTIOUS IN MY APCH AND I WOULD HAVE HAD A BETTER IDEA OF THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE THAT WE INCURRED; INSTEAD I WAS THINKING THAT I HAD HIT A ROBIN OR SPARROW; OR SOME OTHER LIGHT WT FOWL. WHILE I'M NOT SURE THIS INFO WOULD HAVE PREVENTED OUR STRIKE; IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED ME BETTER EVALUATE/UNDERSTAND OUR STATUS HAD SYS MALFUNCTIONS BEGUN TO DEVELOP. I BELIEVE THIS WOULD FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF COMS BREAKDOWN.