AS LATE BAGS ARE BEING LOADED OFF THE GATE; A320 FLT CREW IS INFORMED BY LOADER OF DAMAGE TO RIGHT ENGINE COWL. ACFT IS INSPECTED BY MAINTENANCE AND RETURNS TO GATE.

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WE WERE BEGINNING OUR PUSHBACK FROM GATE AND WERE TOLD MORE BAGS NEEDED TO BE LOADED. I SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND COMMANDED THE TUG DRIVER TO LOAD THE BAGS. NO ENGS WERE RUNNING AT THIS TIME. THE TUG DRIVER INFORMED ME THAT THE PERSON LOADING THE BAGS NOTICED A DENT ON THE #2 ENG COWLING. I ASK HIM TO CLARIFY THE DAMAGE AND HE TOLD ME IT LOOKED LIKE A BIRD STRIKE. I TOLD THE TUG DRIVER THAT WE WOULD START AN ENG AND GET OUT OF EVERYONE'S WAY AND CALL MAINT TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT THE ACFT. WE PULLED INTO HOLDING PAD #1 LOCATED CLOSE TO THE B CONCOURSE AND CALLED MAINT. THEY CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT THE ACFT DAMAGE AND ORDERED US TO RETURN TO THE GATE. THE APPARENT BIRD STRIKE HAD OCCURRED ON A PREVIOUS FLT AND WAS NOT AN EVENT WITH THIS CREW. HOWEVER; THE PREFLT DUTIES WERE NOT ADEQUATE. THE FO COMPLETED THE WALKAROUND AND MISSED THE ACFT DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE WAS OBVIOUS EVEN IN A DARKENED ENVIRONMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHO PREVIOUSLY FLEW THE ACFT OR IF THEY COMPLETED A POSTFLT INSPECTION. I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK MY FO INTENTIONALLY MISSED THE ACFT DAMAGE. SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAPPEN. EVEN THE RAMP CREW DIDN'T EVEN CATCH THIS DAMAGE AT THE GATE. I CERTAINLY DON'T BLAME THE RAMP CREW FOR NOT NOTICING THE DAMAGE. THE BAG LOADER THAT CAUGHT THE DAMAGE WHILE LOADING EXTRA BAGS AFTER THE GATE PUSH SHOULD GET A WELL DESERVED PAT ON THE BACK FOR NOTICING AND SPEAKING UP ABOUT THE ACFT DAMAGE. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH TO ALWAYS ALLOW THE RAMP PERSONNEL TO SPEAK TO THE CREW CONCERNING ANY ABNORMALITY ABOUT THE ACFT REGARDLESS IF THEY ARE INCORRECT. IN THIS INSTANCE; THEY WERE VERY CORRECT AND SAVED THIS CREW; THE COMPANY; PAX AND DOWNLINE PAX DELAYS OR A CANCELED FLT. KUDOS TO THE PERSON POINTING OUT THIS DAMAGE.