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API Integration

External API usage and integration.

Taxonomy API

Species images and descriptions come from the BirdNET taxonomy API:

https://birdnet.cornell.edu/taxonomy/api/

Endpoints

Endpoint Description
GET /api/image/{sci_name}?size=thumb 150x100 WebP thumbnail (3:2)
GET /api/image/{sci_name}?size=medium 480x320 WebP image (3:2)
GET /api/species/{sci_name} Full species record (descriptions, Wikipedia, links)
GET /api/download/json Full taxonomy export used by the local bundle tooling

Usage

The app's default experience is offline-first: bundled species images, descriptions, and taxonomy metadata are generated ahead of time from the public taxonomy export. The live API remains useful for refreshing metadata exports and for any future opt-in online enrichments.

Error Handling

The API is optional — the app works fully offline. Network failures show placeholder images and a "No description available" message.