B767 CREW HAS IN-FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH FLOCK OF LARGE BIRDS SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF; WHICH CAUSES THE LEFT ENGINE TO FAIL. THE ACFT RETURNS FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE DEPARTURE ARPT.

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WE DEPARTED RWY XX AT ZZZ HDG FOR ZZZ2 RAISED THE GEAR AND CONTINUED A NORMAL CLBOUT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING. APCHING THE FLAP RETRACTION ALT OF 800 FT AFE WE ENCOUNTERED A FLOCK OF BIRDS; PROBABLY GEESE (MAYBE CANVASBACK DUCKS). SEVERAL IMPACTED THE ACFT. THE L ENG BEGAN SURGING AND BANGING NOISES COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THAT ENG. ENG INDICATIONS SHOWED FLUCTUATIONS IN EGT AND N2. WE DETERMINED THAT THE L ENG WAS EXPERIENCING COMPRESSOR STALLS AS THE RESULT OF DAMAGE INFLICTED BY THE BIRD IMPACTS. THE ENG INDICATIONS CLOSELY CORRESPONDED WITH WHAT WE HAVE SEEN DURING COMPRESSOR STALL TRAINING; BUT NOT AS SEVERE. NO ENG LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED AND THE FLUCTUATIONS IN N2; FOR EXAMPLE; WERE LESS DRAMATIC. TWR CALLED IMMEDIATELY. THERE HAD APPARENTLY BEEN SOME FIRE OR FLAMES THAT CAUGHT THE CTLR'S ATTN. THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED AND THE COMPRESSOR STALLS CEASED. THE THROTTLE WAS ADJUSTED AGAIN AND THE ENG FAILED. THE SEVERE ENG DAMAGE CHKLIST WAS CALLED FOR AND ACCOMPLISHED. FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED THE COCKPIT AND A RECENTLY-RETIRED B767 CAPT RELAYED THAT FLAMES HAD SHOT OUT OF THE L ENG AFTER THE IMPACTS AND THAT DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT TO THE L ENG COWL. THE FLAPS WERE RAISED AND WE ACCOMPLISHED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. WE ACCEPTED VECTORS TO THE N AND THEN W. THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT DUMPING FUEL OVER LAKE. WE DECIDED NOT TO DUMP FUEL CONSIDERING THAT IT WAS NOT UNLIKELY THAT THE R ENG MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY BIRD IMPACTS; AS WELL; THOUGH THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF DAMAGE. I WAS ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A SUBSEQUENT BIRD STRIKE; BUT I DIDN'T NEED TO VOICE THAT CONCERN BECAUSE WE DECIDED TO LAND. THE CAPT AND BUNKY FO HANDLED COMS WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND DISPATCH. THE BUNKY ALSO TEMPORARILY HANDLED COMS WITH ATC WHILE THE EMER CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED. I FLEW THE ACFT AS WE WERE VECTORED USING THE AUTOPLT. DURING TURNS; IT REQUIRED A LOT OF PWR TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD. SO; I LIMITED THE BANK ANGLE TO 10 DEGS. THE BUNKY DID A GREAT JOB OF COMMUNICATING WITH EVERYONE AND KEEPING THE FLYING PLTS UPDATED. WE HAD DEPARTED USING A PACKS OFF TKOF. I NOTED THAT WE WERE STILL UNPRESSURIZED AS WE HEADED W. THE BUNKY AND I TALKED ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL LOAD ON THE ENG AND DECIDED EITHER NOT TO PRESSURIZE OR TO USE THE APU. WE WAITED FOR THE CAPT WHO WAS TALKING WITH DISPATCH. WE PRESSURIZED USING THE APU. WE TURNED S AND SET UP FOR A LNDG ON XX. PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS WERE DISCUSSED. AUTO-BRAKES #3 WAS ARMED. WE ACCEPTED VECTORS FOR A L DOWNWIND; BASE AND DOGLEG TO FINAL. SOME ADDITIONAL VIBRATIONS WERE FELT BY THE BUNKY AND ME ON SHORT FINAL AS THE ACFT DSNDED THROUGH THE LAST 100-200 FT. THE CAPT MADE A VERY NICE LNDG WELL WITHIN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE; AND WE ROLLED OUT AND CLRED THE RWY. THE BRAKES WERE HOT. THE CAPT GAVE THE CTLS TO ME AND I SUGGESTED TURNING THE NOSEWHEEL TO PREVENT THE ACFT FROM ROLLING AND REQUIRING THE USE OF THE BRAKES. TO MY AMAZEMENT; IT ACTUALLY WORKED. WE DID NOT NEED TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE. WE NOTICED THAT THE L HYD SYS WAS NEARLY EMPTY. EMER VEHICLES SURROUNDED THE ACFT AND SPOKE WITH THE FLT CREW USING A SPECIAL GND FREQ AND INTERCOM. THE RESPONDERS NOTED THE HOT BRAKES AND PROVIDED CHOCKS. THE R ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO THE GATE. I ACCOMPLISHED MY AFTER LNDG FLOWS AS WE WERE TOWED. BY THE TIME WE APCHED THE GATE; THE BRAKES HAD COOLED. THE PARKING CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE RESCUE TEAM WAS SECURED AS WE APCHED THE GATE AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THERE WERE NO PAX OR FLT CREW MEMBERS REQUIRING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. VISUAL POSTFLT INSPECTIONS INDICATED NUMEROUS BIRD STRIKES AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE L ENG FAN; COMPRESSOR BLADES AND STATORS. THERE WAS A LARGE DENT IN THE L ENG COWL AT THE 2 O'CLOCK POS. MARKS ON THE R ENG SPINNER CONFIRMED THE R ENG HAD ALSO SUFFERED A BIRD STRIKE. THERE WERE SEVERAL MECHS; A MAINT ENGINEER AND OPS PEOPLE TO MEET THE PLANE. OVERALL; I THOUGHT THE ENTIRE EVENT WENT QUITE SMOOTHLY. THE CAPT WAS CALM AND IN CTL OF THE SIT; BUT HE ALSO ACCEPTED INPUT FROM THE CREW. HE FLEW THE PLANE WELL AND GAVE IT TO ME IN A TRIMMED CONDITION. THE BUNKY FO WAS A MAJOR FORCE IN THE ACTION. THERE WAS GREAT COM BTWN ALL PLTS; FLT CREW; RETIRED CAPTS; ATC AND THE RESCUE TEAM.