eBird MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that integrates with the eBird API to help plan bird-watching trips through Claude.

Features

• Find birding hotspots by location
• Get recent bird observations
• Find rare bird sightings
• Get species information
• Plan birding trips based on target species

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher
• npm package manager
• Claude Desktop application
• eBird API key (get one at https://ebird.org/api/keygen)

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ebird-mcp.git
cd ebird-mcp

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Build the Project

npm run build

4. Get eBird API Key

Sign up at https://ebird.org/api/keygen to get your free API key.

5. Configure Claude Desktop

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ebird-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/ebird-mcp/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "EBIRD_API_KEY": "your-ebird-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace /absolute/path/to/ebird-mcp with the actual path where you cloned the repository.

6. Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the MCP server.

Available Tools

• get_nearby_hotspots - Find birding hotspots near a location
• get_recent_observations - Get recent bird sightings in an area
• get_notable_observations - Find rare birds in an area
• get_species_observations - Find specific species sightings
• get_hotspot_info - Get detailed hotspot information
• search_species - Search for species by name

Development

Run in development mode:

npm run dev

Example Usage in Claude

"Help me plan a birding trip near Canazei, Italy to see rare birds"

"What rare birds have been seen near Central Park, New York recently?"

"Find recent sightings of Bald Eagles near Seattle"

License

MIT