ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis would not have been possible without the assistance from many people who gave their support in different ways. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisors, Dr. Randy Price and Dr. Steven Hall, for their invaluable guidance and encouragement extended through out the study. I also thank Dr. Marybeth Lima and Dr. Chandra Theegala for serving on my graduate committee. I would like to thank my friend, Ms. Pallavi Bomma, and other colleagues and friends at LSU for their constant help and valuable suggestions throughout the study. I would also thank Prof. Mark Claesgens, from the department of Ag Communications for providing me few pictures of birds. I am grateful to my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rama Raju, and my brother, for the tremendous amount of inspiration and moral support they have given me. Last but not the least, I would like to gratefully acknowledge the project support from th