GBIF Species & Taxonomy Scraper

Here is one real result, with every field the actor returns:

{
  "key": 217143317,
  "nubKey": 2435194,
  "scientificName": "Panthera",
  "canonicalName": "Panthera",
  "authorship": null,
  "rank": "GENUS",
  "origin": "SOURCE",
  "taxonID": "73481",
  "speciesKey": null,
  "iucnRedListCategory": "NOT_EVALUATED",
  "iucnRedListCode": "NE",
  "taxonomicStatus": "ACCEPTED",
  "nomenclaturalStatus": [],
  "synonym": false,
  "kingdom": "Animalia",
  "phylum": "Chordata",
  "class": "Mammalia",
  "order": "Carnivora",
  "family": "Felidae",
  "genus": "Panthera",
  "species": null,
  "kingdomKey": 157533281,
  "phylumKey": 217093751,
  "classKey": 217127277,
  "orderKey": 217143083,
  "familyKey": 217143302,
  "genusKey": 217143317,
  "parentKey": 217143309,
  "parent": "Pantherinae",
  "numDescendants": 18,
  "numOccurrences": 0,
  "nameType": "SCIENTIFIC",
  "datasetKey": "4cec8fef-f129-4966-89b7-4f8439aba058",
  "constituentKey": null,
  "vernacularNames": [],
  "threatStatuses": [],
  "habitats": [],
  "url": "https://www.gbif.org/species/217143317",
  "source": "GBIF",
  "observedAt": "2026-08-10T14:28:33.214Z"
}

The most complete GBIF species and taxonomy scraper available. It returns every field the GBIF species search exposes per taxon, from scientific and canonical name to the full classification (kingdom to genus) with backbone keys, plus optional IUCN Red List conservation status enrichment, and gives you filters for name, rank, status and dataset to target exactly the taxa you need.

📥 Input · 📤 Output · 💰 Pricing · ▶️ Examples

Table of contents

• What it does
• Quickstart
• Input reference
• Output reference
• Example output record
• Run via API and CLI
• Fetch results
• Billing and limits
• FAQ and troubleshooting

What it does

The actor queries the GBIF species search, applies the filters you pass as input, pages through the matching taxa, and writes one normalized record per taxon to the run's dataset. Each record carries the full taxonomic classification (kingdom to genus) with backbone keys, taxonomic and nomenclatural status, descendant and occurrence counts, and vernacular names. When conservationStatus is on (default), each backbone taxon is enriched with its IUCN Red List category (for example VULNERABLE / VU). Missing source values are returned as null.

Data covers the global GBIF taxonomic backbone and checklist datasets. Coverage is worldwide across all kingdoms.

Quickstart

Open the actor, paste this into the input, and press Run. It returns up to 10 taxa matching Panthera, each with IUCN status.

{
  "q": "Panthera",
  "maxSpecies": 10,
  "conservationStatus": true
}

Leave q empty to browse taxa without a name filter. Every input field is optional; with an empty input the actor searches Panthera (default maxSpecies is 10).

Input reference

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
q	string	no	Panthera	Species or taxon name to search. Matches scientific and common names, for example Panthera, Quercus robur, butterfly.
maxSpecies	integer	no	10	Maximum number of taxa to collect.
rank	enum	no	(any)	Keep only records at a given rank: KINGDOM, PHYLUM, CLASS, ORDER, FAMILY, GENUS, SPECIES, SUBSPECIES.
status	enum	no	(any)	Taxonomic status: ACCEPTED, SYNONYM, DOUBTFUL.
datasetKey	string	no	(none)	Restrict results to a single GBIF checklist dataset by its UUID.
conservationStatus	boolean	no	true	Enrich each backbone taxon with its IUCN Red List category where available.

Filters combine with logical AND. Empty filters are ignored.

Output reference

One dataset item per taxon. Types: string, integer, boolean, object[], string[], or null when the source value is absent.

Field	Type	Description
key	integer	GBIF taxon key (unique per taxon).
nubKey	integer	Backbone (nub) taxon key, or null.
scientificName	string	Full scientific name with authorship.
canonicalName	string	Canonical name without authorship.
authorship	string	Name authorship, or null.
rank	string	Taxonomic rank, for example GENUS, SPECIES.
origin	string	Origin of the record in GBIF, for example SOURCE.
taxonID	string	Source dataset taxon ID, or null.
speciesKey	integer	Backbone key of the species, or null.
iucnRedListCategory	string	IUCN Red List category (for example VULNERABLE), or null when not enriched or unavailable.
iucnRedListCode	string	IUCN category code (for example VU, NE), or null.
taxonomicStatus	string	Taxonomic status, for example ACCEPTED, SYNONYM.
nomenclaturalStatus	string[]	Nomenclatural status flags, empty array when none.
synonym	boolean	true if the taxon is a synonym, or null.
kingdom	string	Kingdom name, or null.
phylum	string	Phylum name, or null.
class	string	Class name, or null.
order	string	Order name, or null.
family	string	Family name, or null.
genus	string	Genus name, or null.
species	string	Species name, or null.
kingdomKey	integer	Backbone key for the kingdom, or null.
phylumKey	integer	Backbone key for the phylum, or null.
classKey	integer	Backbone key for the class, or null.
orderKey	integer	Backbone key for the order, or null.
familyKey	integer	Backbone key for the family, or null.
genusKey	integer	Backbone key for the genus, or null.
parentKey	integer	Backbone key of the parent taxon, or null.
parent	string	Parent taxon name, or null.
numDescendants	integer	Number of descendant taxa.
numOccurrences	integer	Number of GBIF occurrence records.
nameType	string	Name type, for example SCIENTIFIC.
datasetKey	string	UUID of the source checklist dataset.
constituentKey	string	Constituent dataset UUID, or null.
vernacularNames	object[]	Up to 10 vernacular names, each {name, language}. Empty array when none.
threatStatuses	string[]	Threat status flags from GBIF, empty array when none.
habitats	string[]	Habitat flags from GBIF, empty array when none.
url	string	GBIF species page URL.
source	string	Always GBIF.
observedAt	string	ISO 8601 timestamp of when the record was collected.
error	string	On a failed run, a single item with a populated error field is written instead.

Example output record

Real record from a live run (input {"q": "Panthera", "maxSpecies": 10, "conservationStatus": true}):

{
  "key": 217143317,
  "nubKey": 2435194,
  "scientificName": "Panthera",
  "canonicalName": "Panthera",
  "rank": "GENUS",
  "iucnRedListCategory": "NOT_EVALUATED",
  "iucnRedListCode": "NE",
  "taxonomicStatus": "ACCEPTED",
  "synonym": false,
  "kingdom": "Animalia",
  "phylum": "Chordata",
  "class": "Mammalia",
  "order": "Carnivora",
  "family": "Felidae",
  "genus": "Panthera",
  "parentKey": 217143309,
  "parent": "Pantherinae",
  "numDescendants": 18,
  "numOccurrences": 0,
  "nameType": "SCIENTIFIC",
  "datasetKey": "4cec8fef-f129-4966-89b7-4f8439aba058",
  "vernacularNames": [],
  "threatStatuses": [],
  "habitats": [],
  "url": "https://www.gbif.org/species/217143317",
  "source": "GBIF",
  "observedAt": "2026-08-10T14:28:33.214Z"
}

Run via API and CLI

Start a run and wait for it to finish, then read the dataset. Replace <TOKEN> with your Apify API token.

Run synchronously and get dataset items in one call:

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/scrapers_lat~gbif-species-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"q":"Quercus","rank":"SPECIES","maxSpecies":25}'

Start a run asynchronously:

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/scrapers_lat~gbif-species-scraper/runs?token=<TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"q":"butterfly","status":"ACCEPTED","maxSpecies":100}'

Apify CLI:

apify call scrapers_lat/gbif-species-scraper \
  --input '{"q":"Panthera leo","conservationStatus":true}'

Fetch results

Every run writes to a dataset. Fetch items as JSON, CSV, or Excel by changing format:

# JSON
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<DATASET_ID>/items?token=<TOKEN>&clean=true&format=json"

# CSV
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<DATASET_ID>/items?token=<TOKEN>&clean=true&format=csv"

# Paginate large datasets
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<DATASET_ID>/items?token=<TOKEN>&offset=1000&limit=1000"

<DATASET_ID> is returned as defaultDatasetId in the run object. Use offset and limit to page through large result sets. clean=true drops empty and internal fields.

Billing and limits

• Pay per result. You are charged per taxon record returned (result event). See the pricing tab for the current per-result price.
• No charge on failure. If a run errors, the actor writes a single item with a populated error field and does not charge for it. Empty runs cost nothing.
• Spend cap respected. Set maxTotalChargeUsd on the run; once reached, the actor stops emitting and charging further billable results.
• Free Apify plans are capped at 10 records per run. Upgrade for higher maxSpecies.

FAQ and troubleshooting

A run returned 0 records. Why? The name matched no taxa, or the rank/status/dataset filters excluded everything. Broaden the query or remove a filter. Zero-result runs are not charged.

How do I get only species (not genera or families)? Set rank to SPECIES. Combine with status ACCEPTED to drop synonyms.

Why is iucnRedListCategory null? Either conservationStatus was off, or GBIF has no IUCN mapping for that taxon. The actor never invents a status.

What is the difference between key and nubKey? key is the taxon key in its source checklist dataset; nubKey is the corresponding key in the GBIF backbone taxonomy. Use nubKey to join across datasets.

Can I restrict to one checklist? Yes. Pass its UUID in datasetKey.

Is this an official GBIF tool? No. This actor is independent and has no affiliation with GBIF. It reads only data that is publicly available through the GBIF API. Use it in accordance with the GBIF terms of use.

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Independent tool, not affiliated with GBIF. Accesses only publicly available GBIF data. Use in accordance with the GBIF terms of use.