Gbif MCP Server

Search GBIF species taxonomy, occurrence records, datasets, and publishers.

Remote serverstreamable-http

What is the Gbif MCP Server?

Search GBIF species taxonomy, occurrence records, datasets, and publishers.

What the server does

  • Declarative tool definitions — single file per tool, framework handles registration and validation
  • Unified error handling across all tools
  • Pluggable auth (none, jwt, oauth)
  • Swappable storage backends: in-memory, filesystem, Supabase, Cloudflare KV/R2/D1
  • Structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing
  • Runs locally (stdio/HTTP) or on Cloudflare Workers from the same codebase

Credentials and setup notes

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Maintainer setup documentation.

Recorded tools

Check the linked publisher documentation and your connected client's tool list. Names and availability can vary with the server version and account permissions.

ToolWhat it does
gbif_match_speciesMatch a species name against the GBIF backbone taxonomy — returns taxonKey, confidence score, and full classification
gbif_bulk_match_speciesMatch up to 50 scientific names to backbone taxon keys in one call — results in input order, per-name NONE/ERROR isolation
gbif_get_speciesFetch a single backbone taxon by key — full classification, authorship, synonymy, vernacular name, descendant count
gbif_search_speciesSearch or browse the GBIF backbone taxonomy by name fragment, rank, kingdom, family, or genus
gbif_get_species_classificationReturn the root-to-parent classification chain for a taxon — root-first ordered array from kingdom to the queried taxon's immediate parent (the taxon itself is not included)
gbif_get_species_childrenList direct children of a backbone taxon — genera within a family, species within a genus
gbif_search_occurrencesSearch 2.4B+ GBIF occurrence records with Darwin Core filters — country, bounding box, WKT geometry, year, month, basis of record
gbif_count_occurrencesCount occurrences matching a filter without fetching records — fast single-number response
gbif_get_occurrenceFetch a single occurrence record by key — full Darwin Core record with GADM geography, media, and quality flags
gbif_occurrence_facetsAggregate occurrence counts by a dimension — country, year, basis of record, dataset, kingdom, and more
gbif_search_datasetsSearch GBIF datasets by keyword, type, country, or publishing organization
gbif_get_datasetFetch full dataset metadata by UUID — title, description, citation, contacts, license, DOI, coverage
gbif_search_publishersSearch GBIF-registered publishing organizations by name fragment or country

How to install the Gbif MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gbif-biodiversity-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@cyanheads/gbif-biodiversity-mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
        "MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPEConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
MCP_LOG_LEVELConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
DATASET_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
KINGDOM_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
PHYLUM_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
CLASS_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
ORDER_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
FAMILY_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • “Use Gbif to gbif match species.”
  • “Use Gbif to gbif bulk match species.”
  • “Use Gbif to gbif get species.”

Frequently asked questions

Search GBIF species taxonomy, occurrence records, datasets, and publishers. Confirm the tools offered by your installed version in the connected client. Tool availability and permissions depend on the server and account configuration.