BEECH 1900 STRUCK BIRD AT 500 FT DURING INITIAL CLB RESULTING IN DECLARATION OF AN EMER AND RETURN LAND AFTER NOTICING A HOLE IN THE WING LEADING EDGE WHERE FUEL WAS LEAKING OUT.

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ON FEB/THU/02 AT XA50; I WAS COPLT FO. THIS ACFT IS A BEECHCRAFT 1900D MODEL. DURING TKOF; I WAS ALSO PNF AND AT APPROX 500 FT AGL WE STRUCK A LARGE BIRD. WE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ZZZ TWR WE WISHED TO RETURN FOR LNDG. INITIAL INSPECTION DID NOT REVEAL ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. WE CONTINUED TO CLB TO 4000 FT MSL IN A XWIND AND LEVELED OFF IN THE DOWNWIND; RETURNING TO RWY 8. WHEN WE LEVELED OFF AND ACCELERATED IN THE DOWNWIND; THE BIRD'S CARCASS (WHICH WAS STUCK ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE ACFT) DISLODGED ITSELF AND REVEALED A LARGE IMPACT DENT; HOLE AND NOW FUEL LEAK. THE BIRD'S CARCASS WAS HIDING THE DAMAGE AND UP TO THIS POINT WE DID NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. WITH THE CARCASS GONE WE COULD NOW CLRLY SEE A SUBSTANTIAL FUEL LEAK AND LARGE CRACK FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE ACFT'S LEADING EDGE. WE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER AND RPTED TO ZZZ APCH A 'SUBSTANTIAL FUEL LEAK.' WE WERE QUICKLY GIVEN A LNDG CLRNC AND SOON AFTER SAFELY LANDED. WE EVACED THE PAX THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR AND THE ZZZ FIRE DEPT FOAMED DOWN OUR R WING AND SURROUNDING TARMAC. THEY PLUGGED THE HOLE WITH A THICK AGENT AND THAT STOPPED THE FUEL LEAK. WHEN THE EVENT WAS OVER WE HAD LOST NEARLY 1200 LBS OF FUEL. THE CAPT AND I FILLED OUT ALL REQUIRED PAPERWORK; INCLUDING BIRD STRIKE FORM AND COMPANY INCIDENT RPT THE SAME EVENING.