BBC Specialist Factual has commissioned Hamza’s African Birds of Prey, a one-hour special from Silverback Films.
Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin journeys across Kenya in search of some of Africa’s most spectacular- and most threatened – birds of prey.
Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, said: “Hamza has a gift for getting people excited about the natural world. His film Strictly Birds of Prey, in which he introduced us to his favourite British raptors, was a huge hit in 2023 – enthralling over seven million viewers to date. In this follow-up programme, his mission to make us fall in love with birds of prey continues – this time in Kenya.”
Yassin said: “This African Birds of Prey film was an absolute dream for me. I’ve always been passionate about birds of prey and to be able to capture these incredible animals in Kenya was a privilege and an honour. The team at Silverback were incredible and I hope everyone enjoys watching the film as much as I enjoyed making it.”
Jeff Wilson, Executive Producer, Silverback Films said: “The success of Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles gave us the confidence to take Hamza’s passion for birds of prey and go international, and there is no better place than Kenya to fall in love with raptors. Hamza’s unique ability to be both a fantastic wildlife cinematographer and a superb communicator with both scientists and local communities brings so much magic to this special documentary, and there is no doubt by the end of the film he’ll have convinced our audience to love them as much as he does.”
Travelling from the vast plains of the Maasai Mara to the shores of Lake Naivasha, to the ancient forests of the Kenyan coast and the dramatic escarpments of the Rift Valley, Yassin encounters a cast of raptors, including African fish eagles, secretary birds, martial eagles, scops owls, lappet-faced and Rüppell’s vultures, and the elusive African crowned eagle.
Hamza joins the scientists, conservationists, rangers and local communities working to protect the birds; from caring for injured vultures and satellite-tagging young eagles to monitoring remote cliff-top nesting colonies and searching for one of Africa’s rarest owls. He witnesses both the resilience of Kenya’s birds of prey and the growing threats they face from habitat loss, poisoning, the illegal wildlife trade and expanding infrastructure.
Hamza’s African Birds of Prey, a 1×60’ for BBC One and iPlayer, is made by Silverback Films, part of media and entertainment group Banijay Entertainment. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual and is Executive Produced by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson. The Director is Laura Howard and the Commissioning Editor is Tom Watt-Smith, Head of Commissioning, Natural History. It will air later this year.
Pippa Considine
Share this story
