How to Use the Xeno-canto MCP in Claude

Q: How do I search for recordings using Xeno-canto in Claude Desktop?

Just ask your agent to run searchrecordings. You can specify the genus, species, or country code (like 'France') directly in your prompt. The tool handles the rest.

Access Xeno-canto's bird sounds directly with Claude Desktop.

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Connect Xeno-canto MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect Xeno-canto to Claude Desktop and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Xeno-canto with Claude Desktop

Ask AI about this MCP

ChatGPT

Claude

Perplexity

Find Bird Sounds via MCP Server

The `search_recordings` tool lets you query the world’s largest collection of bird sound recordings. You can specify search parameters like genus, species, country, or a general query.

Explore Global Audio Databases

Need to check what sounds *Turdus* makes in France? The agent handles that complex API call for you. Just tell it the details, and you get the resulting links right back into your chat.

Research Avian Biology Context

Use this MCP Server to gather data points for research without leaving Claude Desktop. You can cross-reference audio findings with other sources in a single session. It's perfect when you need live, external data—like current bird calls—without copying and pasting from a browser.

Setup guide

Set up Xeno-canto MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The Xeno-canto MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the Xeno-canto MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under xeno-canto-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xeno-canto-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Xeno-canto. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Xeno-canto MCP in Claude Desktop

Just ask your agent to run `search_recordings`. You can specify the genus, species, or country code (like 'France') directly in your prompt. The tool handles the rest.

Yes, it does. The MCP Server connects to Xeno-canto and runs live queries through the stdio transport. You'll get immediate results in your chat window.

You can search for recordings across various parameters, including specific genera (g.) and species (gen:). The tool is built to handle the complexity of large audio datasets.

The MCP Server runs as a subprocess, so while your AI client can access local file systems, this specific tool only interacts with external data from the Xeno-canto database.

This server processes public search parameters (genus, species, country) to retrieve bird sound recording links. It doesn't handle sensitive user account information.

Use it with your favorite AI tools

Connect this server to Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and more.

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