The best places for filming birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Looking for the best places for filming birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo? The Democratic Republic of Congo is a wonderful destination for birders, although it is not yet exploited, and it offers the nicest avenues for bird filming in the tropical rain forests. The country provides wonderful species of birds, of which some are endemic to Congo as the country.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 1185 species of birds, of which some are endemic while others are rare or threatened. Out of the 1185 species of birds, 32 of these species are threatened worldwide. There is no country in Africa rich in avifauna biodiversity compared to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Because tourism has been encouraged in the Democratic Republic of Congo over recent years, birding in Congo has become an increasing tourist activity. Various bird species, such as the Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Narrow-tailed starling, and the Double-toothed Barbet, can be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are so attractive to prominent birders.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has got a wide range of natural habitats where the birds are easily found and these include the riverine vegetation, the forested areas, savannah vegetation, the mountainous vegetation, woodlands and water bodies that have provided enough areas for the habitats of the various bird species. These have provided wonderful habitats for wildlife species.

Mix of filming birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Trust me, you will get a lot of documentaries and get attractive scenes as you film birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Enjoy the Albertine rift of the Congo Basin, then the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, which is critical in providing refuge to the lowland and the gorillas. Shoot the Afro-montane forests, the bamboo forests, coupled with afro highland species. The majority of important birding areas are in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in the Albertian region. All these will appear in your filming mix.

The best places to film birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Filming birds in Virunga Volcanoes National Park Congo: Virunga national park lies near the border with Uganda and Rwanda and it harbors various species of birds such as the yellow-crowned Helment, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Grauers Swamp-Warbler, and brandypterus graueri, among other bird species. This therefore provided the best destination for filming.

Bird filming in Congo’s Kahuzi-Biege National Park: This park is also important for bird filming, but it is best known for having the world’s largest gorillas, known as lowland gorillas.

Filming birds in Salonga National Park: This is the park’s largest rain forest cover and it encompasses large basins of forest in Africa, and there are several bird species, including the Congo peacock, Afropavo congesis.

Filming birds in Maiko National Park, Congo: This is an important destination for filming the wonderful Congo peacock, afropavo congensis, and this is the park with the highest population of these wonderful bird species.

Filming birds in the Congo’s Itombwe Mountains: These mountains are located in the northwestern part of Lake Tanganyika and are home to over 563 species of birds, making it Africa’s forest reserve with the most species of birds recorded. Several bird species can be filmed here, and these include the Congo Bay Owl, Phodilus Prigoginei, and sift schoutedenapus, among other bird species.

Filing birds in Upempa National Park in Congo: Enjoy the Black-lead Waxbill, Estrilda nigriloris. Other filming destinations here include the Kundelunga National Park and the Lufira Valley, among other bird species. Other areas where you can photograph and film birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo include the Luki forest Reserve, Bombo-Lumene game reserve, and the Ngiri areas, among others.

What is the cost of filming in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

All the visitors going on the filming adventure in the Democratic Republic of Congo must obtain valid filming permits. If you’re filming for personal use, you will just need to pay the park entrance fees and then the fees and do the activity, while if you’re filming for commercial purposes or documentary, it will be the Institut Congolais Pour la Conservation de la Nature that will issue the filming permit, depending on which destination you’re going to do the filming from. But generally, you will need to pay the park entrance fees and then a percentage levied for filming, as it will be well explained by the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature. We engage with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature to ensure that we get for you the right and affordable Congo filming permit.

What do you need to film birds in DR. Congo?

The first requirement is to obtain filming permits and clearance.

For any related filming activity to be done in the Democratic Republic of Congo, all the filming crew members have and possess the filming permits and these are provided with permission by the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order for you to continue with your bird filming safari in DR. Congo. Other than the filming permits, you will also need to have your filming equipment cleared at any point of entry in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whether through the international airport or by using the land borders. The filming equipment is supposed to be cleared by the customs department, which is always stationed at the point of entry.

Therefore, as Africa Adventure Vacations, this is where we do help you a lot. By merely informing us of your intentions to film birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are very experienced in organizing for you the whole adventure activity, including processing for you the filming permits required, organizing for you the accommodation facilities, transportation, help in obtaining for you the local authorities’ permits, as well as aiding you in clearance of your filming equipment with the customs department of the Democratic Republic of Congo at your point of entry.

There is no formal process for the allocation of filming permits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so this is handled by negotiations between the parties, which Africa Adventure Vacations is experienced in. Also, the DR. Congo government doesn’t authorize filming in the areas of interest, especially filming the military installation projects, filming of government buildings, as well as filming along the border areas, and this is illegal and you may be penalized in the courts of law or even have your equipment confiscated. If you want to do filming that will require you to shoot by the use of drones, market filming, or filming alongside the road whereby you will inconvenience traffic, such as filming in the cities or those in the national parks, then you will also need to get permission from the local authorities. To avoid inconveniences, you will need to contact Africa Adventure Vacations so that we can advise you accordingly when to film birds.

Visas and work permits are required as part of the second requirement.

As you are aware, it is illegal to enter another country without a visa. It is important that all the film crew members obtain the visa to be allowed into DR. Congo. For the neighboring Congo countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, you can get the visa immediately on arrival. For the DR Congo Visa, it’s a different story. Rather, you must apply for the visa in advance through your nearby DR Congo Embassy. The single entry visa in Congo costs $100 and is valid for one month. The one valid for two months costs $135, while for the one valid for six months, you will need to pay $400. The important thing to note is that the DR. Congo Visa will need to be applied for in advance, about 3 weeks or a month before your planned dates of travel to Congo for the filming, since this Visa cannot be issued on arrival as it is in her neighboring countries. The film crew members will not be allowed to enter the Democratic Republic of Congo to do filming activities without a visa. Another document here is the yellow fever vaccination card, and thus, please contact us at Africa Adventure Vacations for the best filming opportunities in DR. Congo.

In order to film birds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you must hire vehicles.

Yes, at Africa Adventure Vacations, we make sure that we make transport arrangements for you such that when you are in the Democratic Republic of Congo for filming, you don’t get stranded. We have got our own fleet of cars and we book and arrange the vehicle services for the film crew members depending on their interests, budgets, and the terrain of the area that is going to be filmed. For the film crew members going to film in the rough terrain, we advise them to use the 44 wheel drive vehicle that will be able to navigate the hilly terrain, especially on bird filming safari. We shall be able to tell you how much it cost in terms of the furl and the mileage covered in order to determine how much you will spend on the vehicle per day. Africa Adventure Vacations also organizes both chartered and scheduled flights within the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially for visitors who are interested in flying and do not have the time to drive long distances on the road.

Our hired vehicles will be manned by a well-experienced driver guide who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo before and knows all the corners of the country from the point of arrival up to the places for filming primates in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The driver fixer will be able to share with you the basic information about the Democratic Republic of Congo and will give you all the solutions required when it comes to film fixing, so you are lucky to book your bird filming safari with Africa Adventure Vacations.

Is filming birds in the DR and Congo safe?

It is very safe. Well, we all know that over recent years, DR. Congo has been affected by instabilities which have threatened investors as well as the tourism industry in the country. Such instabilities and disasters have come because of Ebola and other rebellion conflicts which have halted the filming process in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, as of recent, the Congo is now on track of peace as there are limited cases of instabilities and now the filming industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo is safe and booming. Therefore, we can assure you that it is safe to film birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As Africa Adventure Vacations, we keep tracking and monitoring any security threat from time to time, and we are very cautious in that anytime we feel the threat, we can let you know. This advisory service is always given before the filming of birds in Congo starts. Always contact us at African Adventure Vacations for more information about the safety of filming birds in DR. Congo.

Where to stay during bird filming in Democratic Republic of Congo?

As I indicated in various destinations where primate filming can take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, each destination or spot has got various accommodation facilities. The most advanced lodges can be found in Virunga, but some destinations are found in remote areas that would necessitate you travelling with your own food and tents, and sometimes you may be forced to sleep in the local community areas.

What to wear during filming birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

In order to have successful bird filming in Congo, there are some of the items that you should not miss from your packing list, especially the right dressing code depending on the conditions available. Therefore, our visitors or the film crew members should put on or come with the following during filming:

• You need to wear long-sleeved shirts or long trousers while filming. It is good when they are waterproof, as these will protect you from being harmed by sharp tree branches and stones as well as thorns while in the Congo wildness filming.

• You need to wear water-proof shoes during filming. This will help you to navigate through the slippery trails that you will be following while filming in Congo as these will give you stability on the ground.

• Don’t miss out on putting on the gardening gloves when filming, which will be so influential in protecting your hands, and you can put them off when you feel you no longer need them.

• You also need to come with a rain jacket because, in most cases, filming is done in the tropical rain forests that are always wet, and this is why putting on a rain jacket is of great help to you.

• Since filming is always done in the wild, it is good that you have insect repellent with you to safe guard against various insects such as mosquitoes and any other biting insects.

Other clothes that you should not leave out are the water-proof safari back and jacket, as this will help protect your filming equipment from getting in touch with water. You can also put on the African safari hat, safari socks, and shorts that you can sometimes put on, among others.

What is the best time for filming birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

Filming birds in the Democratic Republic of Congo is done throughout the year. However, it has been established that the best time to film birds during the dry season is from June to October, followed by December to February. The Democratic Republic of Congo is covered with tropical rain forest and this has influenced the country to experience the tropical rain climate, meaning that at times you can also experience certain rains unexpectedly. Therefore, you need to prepare accordingly for the changing weather conditions.

Why should you choose Africa Adventure Vacations for your filming safaris?

Africa Adventure Vacations is a local company based in Uganda but operates in East African countries that include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and South Africa, and we have over 10 years’ experience in aiding filming and production companies, especially those interested in filming nature-related wildlife and the culture of Africa. We provide services such as booking for the filming permits, clearing of the filming equipment, booking for the accommodation facilities, organizing transportation to the filming companies, all in the shortest period of time. We organize other wildlife packages to all of the above-mentioned countries, including gorilla packages to Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Therefore, you should not hesitate to choose us to be your film fixers in East Africa.