This project integrates the eBird API with an MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server, enabling you to query bird observation data via natural language
If you already use Ebird, the ebird mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. This project integrates the eBird API with an MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server, enabling you to query bird observation data via natural language directly inside Claude's chat window.
The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:
Prerequisites — The Prerequisites tool exposed by this serverInstallation — The Installation tool exposed by this serverConfiguration — 1. Open Claude Desktop. 2. Navigate to Settings > Developer > Edit Config > Edit claude_desktop_config.json File. 3. Replace the configuration withObservations — The Observations tool exposed by this serverChecklists — The Checklists tool exposed by this serverHotspots — The Hotspots tool exposed by this serverTaxonomy — The Taxonomy tool exposed by this serverSetup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.
Configuration is passed through the environment: EBIRD_API_KEY. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.
Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Ebird's toolset — Prerequisites, Installation, Configuration and 4 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by siansiansu; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.
We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites | The Prerequisites tool exposed by this server. |
| Installation | The Installation tool exposed by this server. |
| Configuration | 1. Open Claude Desktop. 2. Navigate to Settings > Developer > Edit Config > Edit claude_desktop_config.json File. 3. Replace the configuration with your paths and API key: |
| Observations | The Observations tool exposed by this server. |
| Checklists | The Checklists tool exposed by this server. |
| Hotspots | The Hotspots tool exposed by this server. |
| Taxonomy | The Taxonomy tool exposed by this server. |
{
"mcpServers": {
"ebird-api": {
"command": "/absolute/path/to/python",
"args": [
"/absolute/path/to/ebird-mcp-server/server.py"
],
"env": {
"EBIRD_API_KEY": "your-ebird-api-key"
}
}
}
}Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.
| Variable | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| EBIRD_API_KEY | Credential the server authenticates with. | Yes |
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