
Bird photography and filming in Tanzania
The best places for bird photography and filming in Tanzania: It provides the most exciting safari experience for bird photography and filming of birds. Tanzania is a vast, uninhabited wilderness that is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the seven summits, and Lake Victoria, the second-largest lake in the world and home to 400 different bird species. Additionally, it is regarded as one of the top locations in the world for observing the wilderness, along with Arusha, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Manyara National Parks.
But many photographers and filmmakers are unaware that it is also one of the top locations for bird watching in the entire world. More than 1000 bird species have been identified in the nation, including a large number of Tanzanian indigenous species. Tanzania offers a variety of intriguing and rewarding locations for bird viewing, photography, and filming. Depending on where you decide to shoot the birds, national parks are some of the greatest locations in Tanzania for bird photography and filmmaking. Here, you will also have the chance to witness a variety of wildlife, including all five of the big five mammals.
Tanzania’s national parks feature a variety of topographies, including wide savannah grassland, bush, and scrub with sizable rivers crisscrossing through them. The Secretary Bird, numerous vultures, eagles, and hawks, as well as Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Bare-faced Go-Away Bird, Gabon Nightjar, Lilac-breasted Roller, Ground Hornbill, Red-throated Tit, Sooty Chat, and a variety of larks, pipits, and widowbirds, are among the amazing variety of birdlife that calls these parks home. Livingstone’s and Ross’s Turaco, Giant Kingfisher, Blue Flycatcher, Double-toothed Barbet, and the rare Pel’s Fishing Owl live in the dense riverine forest that borders the Mara and Talek rivers, while Lake Natron is the feeding ground for the largest population of Lesser Flamingos on the planet (about 2 million). They are available in various Tanzania destinations and they can be filmed and photographed. Thus, Tanzania is the best bird filming destination, which has attracted filmmakers and photographers for this great safari experience.

A shot of a blue-naped mouse bird in Tanzania
The best bird filming destinations in Tanzania
Bird filming in Lake Manyara National Park: Many birds can be photographed and filmed here at Lake Manyara National Park. It is believed that it is in Lake Manyara National Park that the world of birders, florists, and botanists collide. There are many different types of flora, from plain savannah grassland to monotonous woodland vegetation. You may see lions that climb trees, zebras, and Maasai giraffes, and take in the breathtaking scenery of Lake Manyara here. As you get closer to the lake coast, there are many birds to see, including a variety of gulls and maybe vulturine Guinea pigs and blue-naped mice. Numerous migratory birds from other regions of Africa and Europe reside in the park as well. Waterfowl, pelicans, ducks, flamingos, and geese are just a few of the bird species that frequent the park.
Bird filming in Arush National Park: The serene Momela Lakes are surrounded by lush grassy hills that glisten in various hues of green and blue. Thousands of pink flamingos can occasionally be found in their shallows. These lakes are home to a wide variety of migratory and resident waterfowl, and their edges are dotted with shaggy waterbucks, which can be filmed and photographed. In between glittering zebra herds, giraffes lope through the grassy slopes, while pairs of wide-eyed Dik-Dik dart into the underbrush like grown-up hares on spindly legs.
Bird filming in Serengeti National Park: One of Tanzania’s largest national parks, Serengeti National Park spans over 14,750 square kilometers. More than 500 native bird species call the park’s diverse vegetation, which includes woodlands, grasslands, plains of savannas, and forests, home. Important bird species to be aware of include hawks, eagles, and kites, as well as ostriches, bustards, larches, and raptors.
Bird filming on Lake Victoria, Tanzania: More than 400 different bird species call this lake home, and it can be filmed and photographed at ease, making it simple to see them all in a few days. Residents include the Allen’s and Purple Gallinules, Black Crake, White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Cormorant and Long-tailed Cormorant, Little Bittern, Goliath, Purple, and Squacco Heron, Little, Yellow-billed and Great-white Egrets, Hammerkop, Yellow-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, African Spoonbill, Fish Eagle, Jacana, and Pied and Malachite Kingfishers.
Bird Filming at Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Over 300 native bird species can be seen in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including herons, bitterns, egrets, hawks, eagles, and kites. The protection area has a variety of vegetation, including grasslands, woodlands, heathlands, lakes, swamps, and deep mountain forests. Selous Game Reserve, Arusha National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park, Katavi National Park, and Mikumi National Park are just a few more Tanzanian locations for bird watching, photography, and videography.

Rufous- breasted Sparrowhawk can be spotted on a bird filming safari to Tanzania
Bird filming on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: The biggest dormant volcanic caldera in the world, Ngorongoro crater, is also located there. The peak of this mountain, which rises 5,895 meters (19,341 ft) above sea level, is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. There are several extremely rare species of birds found in the Highlands, including the Green Ibis, Rufous- breasted Sparrowhawk, Mountain Buzzard, Crowned Eagle, Jackson’s Francolin, Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-fronted Parrot, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Scarce Swift, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Montane Oriole, Alpine Chat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Sharpe’s
The cost of filming in Tanzania
Visitors who are interested in filming any destination in Tanzania are informed that there is some money that they will need to pay to do commercial filming in Tanzania. The filming permit will be issued by the Tanzanian government through the Tanzania Filming Board. Here at Africa Adventure Vacations, we will completely assist you in getting the filming permit in Tanzania and make sure that everything you need will be sorted in the quickest time possible. Once you have got the permit, which costs $1000, and this fee is for the regular permit, once you have this, then you will be able to go to the park where you will be filming, pay for the entrance, and immediately start the activity of filming.
What do you need for bird photography and filming in Tanzania?
Requisition 1: Filming permits and their costs.
You will need a filming permit to participate in any filming activity in Tanzania. All those who are interested in filming in Tanzania will have to book their filming permits from the Tanzania Film Censorship Board and the Department of Antiquities in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Once you have this filming permit, then you can proceed and start your filming buffalo trips in Tanzania. It is very important to note that getting a filming permit in Tanzania might be expensive and time-consuming, and thus the visitors must ensure that they book early with us so that we can start the process of securing the filming permit for Tanzania early. Make sure that you undergo all the application forms for filming with the assistance of your local Tanzania production service film fixer. This is the step that you must take before anything. Once you have finished the application procedures, make sure that you submit the forms to your reputable local Tanzania Consulate. This will help to quicken and complete your application process. Later, after this exercise, you will be asked to send your original documents back to your Tanzania film fixer to finalize the process with the authorities in Tanzania.
Permits for filming can only be used for three months at a time. Giving oneself as much time as possible to accomplish this process is recommended. If you just have a short amount of time, you can get an expedited permit, but the expenses will be substantially higher. A standard permit costs $1,000. The film crew members who don’t have time and would like to book the last-minute filming permit in Tanzania will have to pay $3,000 each. Please contact us here at Africa Adventure Vacations as we can help to secure the filming permit to enable you to make and do filming in Tanzania.
Other Permission and Filming Fees in Tanzania
The moment you are done with getting the filming permit, which is the core of filming in Tanzania, remember that you might need some other permissions that you will need to gain access to buffalo filming in Tanzania.
The other permissions that you might need may include filming inside the protected area or the national park, in case you need to do drone filming, as well as those interested in night filming safaris in Tanzania. Several laws and rules guide visitors or those who are interested in filming in Tanzania, and thus you must get the proper film fixer with high credentials to guide you so that you are not caught on the wrong side of the law. Please be reminded that you will also need to cover the accommodation costs, the visa, the film fixers’ fee, and the vehicle that you need to transport to and from Tanzania for filming.

drive a 4×4 vehicle when going to Tanzania for a bird filming safari
Requirement 3: You need a 4×4 vehicle when going to and from bird photography and filming in Tanzania.
When you trust Africa Adventure Vacations as your film fixer, then you will get the opportunity to book for yourself a strong vehicle that will transport the crew members to and from bird photography and filming in Tanzania. We offer the vehicle based on the preferences of our clients and their budget, but also the location where you are going to film, because it may also determine the kind of vehicle that you might need. Because of the nature of the terrain, which might make you travel long distances, we kindly urge you to book our customized
Daily, these cost about $200 to $250 per vehicle, and this price includes the fuel and the driver. You can also opt for our 4×4 safari van, which is available for $200 daily. By contacting us, we shall make sure that we calculate everything, and thus we shall inform you and give you the inclusive price. Each of our vehicles is accompanied by drivers who work as area fixers, and many of them have traveled to nearly every part of Tanzania, so they are familiar with the local conditions and can provide critical information and resolve any situation on the ground. While in Tanzania, these serve as intermediaries between you and our office. And please contact us for any film fixers in Tanzania. We are available 24 hours a day to be able to help you with all the information relating to bird photography and filming in Tanzania.
Filming equipment freight and customs
If you choose Tanzania as your recording destination, you will almost certainly need to bring film equipment with you. The most efficient method of air shipping freight is to “go with” the baggage on your aircraft. The alternative option is to convey it as “unaccompanied” cargo via airship. The last method is more expensive, and the hardware may spend some time in customs at the port of entry. In Tanzania, the temporary importation of film equipment is governed by a bond framework or system. You can save the entire value of the hardware with the Tanzanian government for the duration of the shoot. You can apply for a discount on this bond’s cash market value. In any event, film studios can pay a freight agent or specialist a non-refundable 10% of the total cost of the equipment in exchange for the use of his or her bond. This is a shorter and less complicated cycle.
The best time for bird photography and filming in Tanzania
The greatest time to video birds in Tanzania is during the wetter months of March, April, May, September, October, and November. This is because most birds breed during these months and are more active and loud, making it simple to spot and record them.
Why should you book your Tanzania filming safari with Africa Adventure Vacations?
Africa Adventure Vacations is a well-known tourist company based in Uganda that operates in East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa. We have more than ten years of experience assisting filming and production companies, particularly those interested in filming nature-related wildlife and African culture. We offer services such as obtaining filming permission, clearing filming equipment, reserving lodging, and arranging transportation to filming businesses, all in the shortest amount of time possible. Other wildlife tours are available in all of the countries mentioned above, including gorilla tours in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result, you should not hesitate to choose us as your East African film fixers.