MD80S ACFT HAD MASSIVE BIRD STRIKE JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION. THOUGH ENG PARAMETERS APPEARED NORMAL; CAPT RPTR DECLARED EMER AND RETURN LAND OVERWT. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ACFT.

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JUST PRIOR TO ROTATION ON RWY 36R AT DFW; A LARGE FLOCK OF BIRDS BEGAN TO FLY INTO THE PATH OF OUR ACFT; COMING FROM THE R SIDE OF THE RWY AND MOVING ACROSS THE RWY. I ROTATED THE ACFT AND WE WERE STRUCK WITH WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE 340 BIRDS -- ON EVERY PART OF THE ACFT. ALL ENG READINGS WERE NORMAL; EGT'S WERE NORMAL; BUT I HAD NO WAY OF TELLING WHAT DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED TO THE ACFT. I ELECTED TO RETURN TO LAND; AND DECLARED AN EMER TO TWR; AND TURNED L FOR DOWNWIND PATTERN. WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 36L AND DID SO WITHOUT EVENT. ACFT WT WAS 143000 LBS AND SINK RATE WAS ABOUT 150-200 FPM AT TOUCHDOWN. AFTER CLRING THE RWY I REQUESTED A VISUAL CHK BY CFR PERSONNEL TO CONFIRM NO SMOKE OR OBVIOUS DAMAGE FOR TAXI IN. ONCE COMPLETED; I TAXIED TO SPOT XX AND SHUT DOWN FOR TOW-IN TO THE GATE. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON VARIOUS PARTS OF THE ACFT; AND THERE WAS NEVER A QUESTION AS TO THE FURTHER CONTINUANCE OF THE FLT. NO SMOKE ENTERED THE CABIN; BUT AIR CONDITIONING ODORS WERE STRONG AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE FO WAS VERY GOOD IN RESPONDING TO THE SIT; AND IS TO BE COMMENDED IN HIS PERFORMANCE.