[Slight]

originally posted by scampo
...how do they test what kind of damage a bird could do?

With a chicken cannon of course!

From pratt &whittney
Bird strike test
Birds often get sucked into an engine on takeoff, posing a potential safety hazard. Pratt & Whitney simulates bird strikes to ensure that engines keep running normally. Dead birds purchased specifically for this test are shot into an engine set at takeoff thrust. Only an engine that keeps running is ready for service.