about
WHO ARE WE?
Welcome! I'm Camille; self-professed 'crazy bird lady', mum to two little humans, and soul behind Maranatha Aviaries. I breed green-cheeked conures and quakers in a plethora of colours, right here in the Lockyer Valley.
​
My love for aviculture began at the wee age of three years old; my family went to a local market and we walked past a stall with all kinds of birds. The request was simple: "Mum, I want that one", pointing a cockatiel fledgling in one of the cages. Well what could she say? My fate was sealed that very day, and a little pearl cockatiel called Sammie came to live with us. That little bird was the light of my life for 17 wonderful years, and cemented a love for parrots deeply into my heart.
My whole life I firmly believed that I would be a veterinarian one day; nothing could have convinced me otherwise. I lived and breathed anything and everything related to animals; I had parrot books and encyclopaedias and studied about the anatomy of feathers, I was pretty much obsessed. Leaving high school I went on to study two years of Veterinary Technology, and that course on animal breeding and genetics sure was a foreshadowing of the not-to-distant future.
​
Fast forward to Spring 2014, I brought my first green-cheeked conure home. I was fascinated by the way these little birds hung around by one foot, laid on their back, played with toys and made such great companions. A few months later I bought a hen and - paired with the name of our property, "Maranatha" (which means The Lord is Coming) - Maranatha Aviaries was born.
OUR MISSION
My goal is to educate, support and share the love of aviculture with my clients. Whether young or old, male or female, all can experience the joys that come with owning intelligent companion parrots, which deserve to live long and enriched lives. Over the years I have owned various parrots such as budgerigars, cockatiels, alexandrines, indian ringnecks, galahs, Bourke's parrots, quakers and green-cheeked conures, and I strive to continually grow my knowledge in care and husbandry. It is my desire to raise birds the best way and support and educate those around me so they can do the same, whether for their pets or fellow breeders as well. Because at the end of the day, these parrots have been put on this planet to be enjoyed and engaged with; not just a pretty bundle of feathers sitting in a cage.