GBIF Connector for AI agents.
10 live capabilities
Access the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy to search and explore global biodiversity data.
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Why people use GBIF
Species for Biodiversity Data Management
This Connector changes that by letting your AI agent do the digging for you. You can ask for a species and get its description, parents, children, and references in one go. You get a clear picture of the biology without the click fatigue.
What Vinkius changes
You get instant, accurate biological data directly within your existing AI workflow.
Use it from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or another AI client you already have.
One account · 5,900+ Connectors
- Real-world use case 01
Verifying a research name
A researcher asks for the Red Panda and gets the exact ID and family info instantly using match_species.
- Real-world use case 02
Building a lineage map
A student asks for all children of the Panthera genus to see common cats using get_species_children.
- Real-world use case 03
Gathering references
A developer needs to find all literature for a specific fish to populate a conservation app using get_species_references.
Complete set · 10capabilities
The complete GBIF capability set.
These are the exact actions your AI can choose when you ask it to work with GBIF.
01—04
4 capabilities in this set.
Part of 10 available through GBIF.
- 01 Capability
Get species children
Lists child taxa for a specific taxon to help you map out biological lineages. This is useful for seeing what species fall under a specific genus.
- 02 Capability
Get species descriptions
Pulls text descriptions for a taxon to give your agent context on habitat or behavior. It helps you get a quick summary of a species.
- 03 Capability
Get species
Fetches full details for a specific taxon when you need a complete overview. It provides the most granular data available for a record.
- 04 Capability
Match species
Compares a scientific name against the global backbone to ensure you have the correct record. It resolves fuzzy queries into exact matches.
05—07
3 capabilities in this set.
Part of 10 available through GBIF.
- 05 Capability
Get species media
Retrieves images and other media files associated with a specific taxon for visual context. It helps you see what the species actually looks like.
- 06 Capability
Get species parents
Lists parent taxa to help you navigate up the tree of life toward higher classifications. Use this to find the family or order of a species.
- 07 Capability
Get species references
Pulls literature references for a specific taxon to help you find original research. It connects you to the academic papers behind the data.
08—10
3 capabilities in this set.
Part of 10 available through GBIF.
- 08 Capability
Search species
Searches for any species or higher taxa using general keywords. It is the starting point for finding any biological record in the database.
- 09 Capability
Suggest species
Provides autocomplete suggestions for scientific names during search or data entry. It helps you find the right name as you type.
- 10 Capability
Get species synonyms
Lists all known taxonomic synonyms to ensure you are not missing data from older records. It helps you catch alternative names for the same species.
Set up in minutes
One URL. Then ask GBIF to work.
Claude and ChatGPT only need the Connector URL. Copy it once, add it in settings, and use GBIF from the conversation.
Choose your client
Live previewAdvanced clients IDE · CLI
Claude · Web + desktop
Connector URL · ready to paste
Streamable HTTPhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp - Step 01
Open Connectors
In Claude Web or Claude Desktop, open Settings and choose Connectors.
- Step 02
Add the URL
Choose Add custom connector, name it GBIF, and paste the URL above.
- Step 03
Turn it on in chat
Select +, open Connectors, and enable GBIF for the conversation.
ChatGPT · Web + desktop
Connector URL · ready to paste
Streamable HTTPhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp - Step 01
Open MCP settings
On desktop, open Settings and MCP servers. On web, open your workspace app or connector settings.
- Step 02
Add the URL
Choose Add server with Streamable HTTP, or create a custom MCP app, then paste the GBIF URL.
- Step 03
Save and start
Save the connection and enable GBIF in your conversation. Desktop may ask you to restart once.
Cursor · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"species": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open MCP Settings
Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) → search "MCP Settings"
- Step 02
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above into the mcp.json file that opens
- Step 03
Save the file
Cursor will automatically detect the new Connector
- Step 04
Start using GBIF
Open Agent mode in chat and ask: "Using GBIF, help me...". 10 tools available
VS Code Copilot · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"species": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Create MCP config
Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
- Step 02
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above
- Step 03
Enable Agent mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
- Step 04
Start using GBIF
Ask Copilot: "Using GBIF, help me...". 10 tools available
Windsurf · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"species": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open MCP Settings
Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"
- Step 02
Add the server
Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json
- Step 03
Save and reload
Windsurf will detect the new server automatically
- Step 04
Start using GBIF
Open Cascade and ask: "Using GBIF, help me...". 10 tools available
Cline · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"species": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open Cline MCP Settings
Click the Connectors icon in the Cline sidebar panel
- Step 02
Add remote server
Click "Add Connector" and paste the configuration above
- Step 03
Enable the server
Toggle the server switch to ON
- Step 04
Start using GBIF
Ask Cline: "Using GBIF, help me...". 10 tools available
Claude Code · Terminal command
Advanced setup
claude mcp add species --transport http "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_C9ozUzO2eDt3yFDsvjzJa1M9wfEsjcUveBAlIENH/mcp"- Step 01
Install Claude Code
Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed
- Step 02
Add the Connector
Run the command above in your terminal
- Step 03
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session
- Step 04
Start using GBIF
Ask Claude: "Using GBIF, show me...". 10 tools are ready
Where the request belongs
Work GBIF can move forward.
This is for the biology researcher who spends too much time copy-pasting from databases, the educator building a curriculum on biodiversity, or the developer building environmental apps that need a reliable source of truth for species data.
Biologist / Researcher
Verifying taxonomic status and literature references during data collection or manuscript writing.
Environmental Developer
Integrating real-time species data into conservation software or environmental monitoring apps.
Biology Educator
Finding media and descriptions for classroom materials or digital learning modules.
Build the capability set
Add more capabilities.
Each Connector adds new actions and data without changing how you work.
Browse ConnectorsGBIF
Search 2.4 billion biodiversity records. find any species on Earth with full taxonomy, observation locations, and geographic distribution from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
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Trefle
Access the world's largest botanical database. search for plants, species, and genera, and explore distribution data directly from your AI agent.
Plants
Access a massive botanical database. search for plants, species, and distributions directly from any AI agent.
FishBase
Access the world's largest database of fish species. Query common names, database versions, and technical documentation for FishBase and SeaLifeBase.
Paleobiology Database
Access the world's largest fossil database. query occurrences, analyze taxonomic diversity, and explore geological intervals directly from your AI agent.
Bring your own AI
Change the model, client or framework. Keep GBIF connected.
-
Claude -
ChatGPT -
Gemini -
Cursor -
VS Code -
Windsurf -
ZCode -
Cline -
Zed -
Continue -
Kiro -
Roo Code -
Zencoder -
Goose -
Void -
Augment Code -
Amp -
Qodo -
Tabnine -
Pieces -
Sourcegraph Cody -
JetBrains -
Warp -
Amazon Q -
Antigravity -
BoltAI -
Raycast -
Jan -
LM Studio -
AnythingLLM -
Open WebUI -
Msty -
Cherry Studio -
LibreChat -
TypingMind -
Chorus -
5ire -
n8n -
LangChain -
LlamaIndex -
CrewAI -
Vercel AI SDK
Before you connect
Questions about GBIF.
The practical details behind the request, access and result.
Can the Species MCP find scientific names for common animals?
Yes, it searches the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy to find and match scientific names for millions of species, from common pets to rare wild animals.
Does the Species MCP help with biological hierarchies?
It allows you to navigate the tree of life by listing parent and child taxa for any given species, making it easy to see how organisms are related.
Can I get images of species using the Species MCP?
Yes, you can retrieve images and other media records associated with specific taxa directly through your AI agent.
Is the Species MCP good for finding research papers?
It can pull literature references for specific taxa, which helps you find the academic papers and research behind the biological data.
How does the Species MCP handle different species names?
It retrieves synonyms, which means it can help you find records even if they use older or alternative names for the same species.
Can I use the Species MCP to find subspecies?
Yes, you can navigate down from kingdoms to specific subspecies using the hierarchy capabilities provided by the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy.
How can I find the correct scientific name if I only have a common name or a partial name?
You can use the match_species capability for fuzzy matching against the GBIF Backbone, or suggest_species for quick autocomplete suggestions based on a search prefix.
Is it possible to retrieve images or photos of a specific taxon?
Yes! By using the get_species_media capability with a valid GBIF Taxon ID, the agent can fetch available images and multimedia records associated with that species.
Can I explore the classification levels (like Family or Order) for a species?
Absolutely. Use get_species_parents to see the full higher taxonomy hierarchy, or get_species_children to see lower taxonomic ranks within a group.
One connection away
Give your agent a direct line to GBIF.
Connect GBIF once. Keep it beside 5,900+ managed Connectors when the next task needs more.
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