io.github.cyanheads/gbif-biodiversity-mcp-server

Resolve up to 50 scientific names to GBIF backbone taxon keys in one call — the batch counterpart to gbif_match_species for checklist, inventory, and species-list workflows that would otherwise need one round trip per name. Each name is matched independently and results are returned in input order, one entry per name. A name with no backbone match yields matchType NONE (no taxonKey) instead of failing the batch; a per-name lookup failure yields matchType ERROR with the reason, leaving the rest of the batch intact. Resolves synonyms to the accepted backbone key. Common names are not supported — use gbif_search_species for vernacular searches. Below confidence 80, review the match.

Count occurrences matching a taxon + location filter without fetching records. Use for quick totals ("how many Aves records in Sweden?") or before deciding whether to paginate a full search. Accepts taxonKey, country, isGeoreferenced, datasetKey, and year.

Fetch full dataset metadata by UUID key — title, description, citation text, contacts, license, DOI, numConstituents (sub-datasets), and temporal/geographic coverage. Use after gbif_search_datasets or when an occurrence record's datasetKey needs provenance detail. Contacts are capped by contactLimit (default 10); contactsTotal and contactsReturned report the full count.

Fetch a single occurrence record by its GBIF occurrence key. Returns the complete Darwin Core record — all coordinates, administrative geography (GADM), dates, collections metadata, collector identifiers, media links, and quality issue flags. Use the occurrence key from gbif_search_occurrences results to fetch full detail.

Fetch a single backbone taxon by its GBIF taxon key. Returns full classification, authorship, taxonomic status, vernacular name, descendant count, and publication reference. Use after gbif_match_species when you need the complete record rather than the match summary. When taxonomicStatus is SYNONYM, acceptedKey and accepted fields identify the accepted taxon. The extinct field is absent (not false) on most records — only present on explicitly flagged taxa.

List direct children of a backbone taxon — genera within a family, species within a genus, subspecies within a species. Paginated. Use gbif_match_species to get the taxonKey first, then iterate with offset for large groups.

Return the parent chain for a taxon — from kingdom (or domain) down to the immediate parent of the queried taxon — as an ordered array. Each entry has its rank, canonical name, and taxon key. The array is returned root-first (kingdom → phylum → class → … → immediate parent of the queried taxon); the queried taxon itself is not included — call gbif_get_species for its own record. Useful for building taxonomic trees or understanding placement without navigating the backbone level-by-level.

Match a scientific name against the GBIF backbone taxonomy. Returns the best-matching taxon with full classification and a confidence score (0–100). This is the mandatory first step for any GBIF workflow — it resolves synonyms and returns the backbone taxonKey required by gbif_search_occurrences, gbif_count_occurrences, and gbif_occurrence_facets. Below confidence 80, the match should be reviewed. matchType NONE means no usable match was found — try removing the strict flag or broadening the name.

Aggregate occurrence counts across a dimension (COUNTRY, STATE_PROVINCE, YEAR, BASIS_OF_RECORD, DATASET_KEY, KINGDOM_KEY, etc.). Returns the top-N facet values ranked by count — no record payloads returned. Core tool for distribution analysis and trend queries: "which countries have the most records for this species?", "how has observation volume changed since 2010?". Scope the aggregation with taxonKey, country, year, geometry, basisOfRecord, or datasetKey filters.

Search GBIF datasets by keyword, type, country, or publishing organization. Returns dataset title, description, license, record count, and DOI. Use to find the source dataset behind a set of records, or to explore what data collections are available for a taxon, country, or organization.

Search 2.4B+ GBIF occurrence records with Darwin Core filters. Use taxonKey from gbif_match_species for reliable results — it resolves synonyms automatically. Accepts country (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2), bounding box (decimalLatitude/decimalLongitude ranges), WKT polygon geometry, year range, month, basis of record, coordinate filter, and dataset key. Pagination is capped at approximately offset+limit=100,000 — use gbif_occurrence_facets for aggregate counts across large result sets.

Search organizations registered with GBIF by name fragment or country. Returns organization key, title, and country — sufficient to chain into gbif_search_datasets with hostingOrg, or to understand who publishes data for a region.

Search or browse the GBIF backbone taxonomy. Accepts scientific name fragments, rank filters, and higher-taxon constraints. Useful for exploring what species exist under a higher taxon (e.g., "list all families of Coleoptera"), for simple name-fragment searches, or when gbif_match_species returns too narrow a result. Paginated — use limit and offset to walk through results.