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GBIF Downloader for QGIS

Submit and manage GBIF occurrence download requests directly from QGIS. No API knowledge required.

GitHub Repository GBIF

Requirements

Step 1: Install the Plugin

From the QGIS Plugin Repository (easiest)

  1. Open QGIS and go to Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins.
  2. Search for GBIF Downloader.
  3. Click Install Plugin.

QGIS plugin

From a ZIP file

  1. Download gbif_downloader.zip from the Releases page.
  2. In QGIS: Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins > Install from ZIP.
  3. Select the downloaded file and click Install Plugin.

After installation, a GBIF Downloader toolbar button appears. Click it to open the dock panel.

QGIS toolbar

Step 2: Configure GBIF Credentials

  1. In the dock panel, click Configure GBIF Credentials (shown when no credentials are set).
  2. Enter your GBIF username and password.
  3. Click Save. Credentials are stored securely in the QGIS authentication manager, never in plain text.

Credentials dialog

Step 3: Build a Query

The Query tab contains collapsible filter sections. Enable any combination of the following:

Filter Description
Scientific name Autocomplete search against the GBIF species backbone
Dataset / Institution Limit to a specific GBIF dataset or publishing institution
Basis of record Observation, Preserved specimen, Machine observation, etc.
Country Country of occurrence
Year Exact year, before/after, or year range
Month One or more calendar months
Coordinate uncertainty Maximum or range in metres
Elevation Metres above sea level (range)
Conservation status (IUCN) EX, EW, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD, NE
Geometry Draw a polygon on the map canvas or use a polygon layer

Drawing a spatial filter

  1. Expand the Geometry section and click Draw on map.
  2. Click on the QGIS map canvas to place polygon vertices over your study area.
  3. Right-click to finish. The polygon appears on the map and is added to the query.

Query builder

Tip

The status bar below the filters shows a live count of matching records and the estimated download size, updated automatically as filters change.

Step 4: Submit the Download

  1. Once satisfied with the query, click Submit Download.
  2. Review the filter summary in the confirmation dialog.
  3. Accept the GBIF data use agreement and citation requirements.
  4. Click OK. The request is sent to the GBIF Download API and a download key is returned.

Info

GBIF processes downloads asynchronously. Small downloads typically complete in under a minute; large ones may take longer. You will receive an email notification when the download is ready, or watch the Downloads tab.

Step 5: Manage Downloads

The Downloads tab lists all your GBIF downloads. Pending downloads are polled automatically every minute. No manual refresh needed.

Once a download shows SUCCEEDED, click the action button on the right for options:

  • Load as layer - extracts the TSV and adds occurrences directly to the QGIS map, automatically symbolized by IUCN Red List conservation status.
  • Save ZIP - saves the full archive to a local cache folder and opens it in the file manager.
  • Details - shows full metadata: record count, DOI, licence, expiry date, citation text, and a breakdown of all predicate filters used. Geometry predicates can be loaded back to the map as a layer.
  • Report - generates a PDF summary containing statistics, an occurrences-by-year chart, IUCN status charts, and ranked species and country tables.

Downloads tab

Layer on map

Step 6: Generate a PDF Report (optional)

  1. In the Downloads tab, click Report on any completed download.
  2. The plugin downloads the data if not already cached, parses it, and renders a PDF.
  3. The folder containing the PDF is opened automatically when complete.

The report includes total records, unique species and country counts, year range, an occurrences-by-year bar chart, IUCN conservation status charts, and top-10 species and country tables.

PDF report

Source Code and License

The plugin is fully open source, published under the GPLv3 license.