CRJ CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT AFTER A BIRD STRIKE AND ENG DAMAGE TO THE #1 ENG. THE ACR MAINT CTLR SAID THE CREW SHOULD HAVE FLOWN TO DEST.

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ON CLBOUT OF ZZZ; STRUCK A BIRD IN THE VICINITY OF L ENG. CAPT RADIOED OPS AND ADVISED HE WAS AIR INTERRUPTING BACK FOR MAINT INSPECTION. OPS CONTACTED ME AND NOTIFIED ME OF DIVERSION. I IN TURN NOTIFIED EQUIP COORD AND MAINT. CAPT RADIOED DISPATCH AND ADVISED AIR INTERRUPTING DUE TO BIRD STRIKE IN L ENG. NO EMER DECLARED AND ALL SYS INDICATED NORMAL AT THAT TIME. ALSO ADVISED 10 MINS UNTIL LNDG. I FORWARDED INFO TO EQUIP COORD AND MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR. EQUIP COORD AND MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR CAME TO MY DESK AND STARTED QUESTIONING ME ABOUT WHY I DID NOT XFER CALL TO MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR. I ADVISED MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR WHILE CAPT WAS PERFORMING SAFETY CHKLIST AND TRYING TO COORD LNDG WITH ATC. MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR ADVISED ME THAT FLT COULD HAVE; AND SHOULD HAVE; CONTINUED ON TO ORD. EQUIP COORD ALSO STATED THAT FLT SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO ORD. I AGAIN ADVISED MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR AND EQUIP COORD THAT PER FLT MANUAL; IF BIRD STRIKE IS INTO AN ENG; PROP; NACELLE OR A WING LEADING EDGE THAT IS IN LINE WITH AN ENG OR NACELLE; OR IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE STRIKE MAY AFFECT AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT; AN AML DISCREPANCY MUST BE MADE AND A TECHNICIAN MUST INSPECT THE ACFT AND VALIDATE THE ENTRY PRIOR TO FURTHER FLT. ZZZ IS A MAINT BASE AND COULD ACCOMPLISH INSPECTION. I AGREED WITH CAPT AND FELT EXTREME PRESSURE FROM MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR AND EQUIP COORD TO CONTINUE FLT WHEN I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO. AFTER LNDG; CAPT CALLED ME AND ADVISED THAT HE HAD ENG VIBRATIONS INFLT AND MAINT FOUND DAMAGE ON L ENG BLADES.