Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Bird / Animal
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Environment - Non Weather Related
While taking off from Houston today; we struck a bird during rotation. The bird appeared to be traveling towards the number two engine. There was a noise associated with the event. The engine was still producing normal thrust and we got no master warning or caution indications. We continued to climb out and noticed that the low pressure spool vibrations were higher than normal. We also heard and felt vibrations in the aircraft. Climbing through 10;000 feet; the flight attendants called up and reported that they were also feeling and hearing the vibrations. We leveled the aircraft off at 16;000 feet at 270 knots and told Center that we needed to work on an issue. I called ARINC and got a hold of Maintenance. I informed them of the bird strike; and the indications on the low pressure spool; which were in the green ranging between 1.0-3.0. Maintenance told me that since the indication was in the green that it was up to me whether not I return to ZZZ and have the engine looked at. I decided that the safest course of action would be to return to ZZZ and have the engine checked out with Maintenance. When we got to the gate I left the cockpit to look at the number two engine. I found several fan blades damaged. The aircraft was taken out of service and we were swapped into a different aircraft and completed the flight to [destination].
E175 pilot reported a bird strike and after returning to departure airport observed damaged fan blades on the walk around.