使用说明
mcp-gbif
GBIF MCP — wraps the Global Biodiversity Information Facility API v1 (free, no auth)
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1856+ live data sources. This is an independent, unofficial integration — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the upstream provider.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_species |
Search for species by common or scientific name. Returns matched taxa with rank, classification status, and taxonomic hierarchy. Use get_species with the taxon key for full details. |
get_species |
Get complete taxonomic classification for a species (kingdom through subspecies). Requires taxon key from search_species. Returns all ranks and accepted name status. |
get_occurrences |
Get georeferenced observation records for a species with coordinates, dates, and sources. Pass either name (a scientific name like "Danaus plexippus" — resolved automatically) or a numeric GBIF backbone key. Filter by country code (e.g., 'US', 'BR', 'AU') to narrow results geographically. |
occurrences_near |
Find species occurrence records NEAR a location (latitude/longitude + radius). PREFER for "what species/wildlife are found near here", "what birds/plants occur around these coordinates", "is recorded near this spot". Optionally filter by a GBIF taxon key (from search_species) to a group or species — e.g. 212 = birds, 6 = plants, 359 = mammals. Returns georeferenced records with species name, date, locality, and source. |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"gbif": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/gbif/mcp"
}
}
}
What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/gbif/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}
Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1856+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
No MCP client? Call it over HTTP
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/gbif_search_species \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"query":"Homo sapiens"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/gbif_search_species. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.
Run it from npm
@pipeworx/mcp-gbif is a local stdio bridge to the Pipeworx gateway: your MCP client
starts it with npx, and it forwards every call to the same
https://gateway.pipeworx.io/gbif/mcp endpoint shown above. It needs network access;
there is no offline mode.
{
"mcpServers": {
"gbif": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-gbif"]
}
}
}
Without a key it calls anonymously, capped at 50 calls a day. A free account
raises that to 200 a day: get a key at https://pipeworx.io/signup and add
"env": { "PIPEWORX_API_KEY": "<your key>" } to the server entry.
The key is sent as a Bearer token, the same way a hosted connection sends it,
so calls are metered and billed exactly as they are there.
It lists only this pack's tools by default. Set PIPEWORX_META_TOOLS=1 to
also list ask_pipeworx and the other gateway-wide tools.
Behind an HTTPS proxy: Node's built-in fetch does not read HTTPS_PROXY by
default. Newer Node releases honour it when NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY=1 is set; check
your Node version's documentation.
Using with ask_pipeworx
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Gbif data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT