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Maggie Mwale is a Zambian who has lived most of her life in her hometown, Livingstone, nurturing her passion for nature.

She has been working at the Livingstone Museum since 2015 as the Curator of Ornithology, responsible for an outstanding bird collection that includes thousands of skins, eggs, and nests. In the first few years after joining the Livingstone Museum, Maggie’s research focus has been on waterbirds in and around Livingstone Area. The Livingstone Museum waterbird research is a biannual monitoring programme (led by Maggie) conducted every year, in January and July, and offers free participation for any interested individuals, local and international. Counts are done at various wetlands and waterbodies including in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, Siloka Island, Victoria Falls, Livingstone lagoons and Clippers Fish Farm. This work by the Livingstone Museum team is done collaborating partners and community members keen in joining. Interested individuals are welcome to contact the Livingstone Museum.

Maggie Mwale, in her Conservation Biology MSc pursuit, joined the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology in 2023. She now embarks on another interesting research focus – the evolution of egg phenotypes in response to climate change. Working with a team at the Choma field site in Zambia, she gathers her data on eggs of nine (9) ground-nesting birds, measuring egg phenotypes. She will also use a unique historic egg collection of over five (5) decades made by Major John Colebrook Robjent, held at the Livingstone Museum, to answer the question of whether egg phenotypes have changed over time to thermally adapt in response to climate change.