# GBIF Species Scraper (`parseforge/gbif-species-scraper`) Actor

Search the Global Biodiversity Information Facility taxonomic backbone. Returns scientific name, rank, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, status, and descendant count. Filter by rank from kingdom down to subspecies. Useful for biodiversity research and ecology projects.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/gbif-species-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Education, Automation, Integrations
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.50 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

![ParseForge Banner](https://github.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/blob/ad35ccc13ddd068b9d6cba33f323962e39aed5b2/banner.jpg?raw=true)

## 🦋 GBIF Species Scraper

> 🚀 **Export species records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in seconds. Scientific names, full taxonomy, ranks, and descendant counts — direct from the public GBIF API.**

The GBIF Species Scraper turns the [GBIF Species API](https://www.gbif.org) public endpoint into a clean, structured dataset. It queries the source live, normalizes the response into one row per record, and pushes the result into an Apify dataset you can download or pipe to your warehouse.

Millions of species records across all kingdoms of life are covered in a single run, with stable field names and null-safe parsing.

| 🎯 Target Audience | 💡 Primary Use Cases |
|---|---|
| 🧬 Biologists | Build verified species checklists |
| 🌳 Ecologists | Cross-reference taxa against habitat datasets |
| 🎓 Educators | Generate classroom species cards |
| 🤖 ML teams | Train species-identification models |

### 📋 What the GBIF Species Scraper does

- Calls the public GBIF Species API endpoint with the parameters you supply.
- Parses the response and flattens each record into a single dataset row.
- Casts numeric fields to numbers where applicable for clean spreadsheet imports.
- Surfaces rate-limit or upstream errors as a single-row `error` record instead of crashing.
- Exports to every Apify dataset format supported in the UI.

> 💡 **Why it matters.** The raw GBIF Species API response is great for API consumers but awkward for spreadsheets and BI tools. This actor normalizes the shape so the data drops straight into pandas, BigQuery, or a Google Sheet.

### 📊 Data fields

Each record includes: `class`, `family`, `genus`, `kingdom`, `numDescendants`, `order`, `phylum`, `rank`, `results`, `scientificName`, `scrapedAt`, `taxonomicStatus`. These field names come straight from the actor's dataset schema, so what you see here is what lands in your dataset.

> ⚠️ **Good to Know.** This actor calls the public GBIF Species API endpoint with no authentication required. Upstream rate limits apply; if the source returns a limit notice, you will see it as a single `error` record in your dataset.

### 🚀 How to use

1. Click **Try for free**.
2. Fill in the input (or leave defaults).
3. Click **Start**.
4. Within seconds, the dataset is ready for download or integration.

### 🔗 Recommended Actors

| Actor | What it does |
|---|---|
| [ParseForge OurAirports Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/ourairports-scraper) | Global airport database. |
| [ParseForge Alpha Vantage Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge) | Stocks, FX, crypto, and indicators. |
| [ParseForge CurseForge Mods Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/curseforge-mods-scraper) | Public mod metadata from CurseForge. |
| [ParseForge NBA Stats Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/nba-stats-scraper) | Player and team stats from NBA.com. |

> 💡 **Pro Tip.** Browse the complete [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge) for 900+ production-grade scrapers across business intelligence, real estate, e-commerce, sports, finance, and public records.

**Disclaimer.** This actor scrapes only publicly available data. ParseForge is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of the third-party services referenced. Users are responsible for complying with the target site's terms of service and applicable law. [Create a free account w/ $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).

### 🆘 Need Help?

If you hit a bug, have questions about setup, or need a scraper we haven't built yet, open our [contact form](https://tally.so/r/BzdKgA) or write to parseforge@protonmail.com. We also take on paid custom data projects.

For faster answers, join our [Discord](https://parseforge.co/discord). It's the best place to get support and suggest new actors.

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Free-text species search query. Example: Panthera tigris. Leave empty for a general listing.

## `rank` (type: `string`):

Filter by taxonomic rank.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many species to collect per run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/gbif-species-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "maxItems": 10 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/gbif-species-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/gbif-species-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/gbif-species-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/QfQEAnX8NrifALTZ5/builds/t5nH6pUdpGHPaDtWf/openapi.json