Building a nature/field guide site
The APIs you would realistically stitch together, grouped by role: core data first, then enrichment, images and location.
| API | Pricing | Auth | Format | Free tier | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Breed Health ScoreHealth scores, median lifespan and hereditary conditions for 155 dog breeds, from peer-reviewed data. Nature & Outdoors › Animals | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
CycleCalcsComputed sun, moon, planet, and eclipse data for any location and date, no key needed. Weather & Environment › Astronomy | Freemium | None | JSON | 1k–10k/day | Live |
DiscGolfWorldwide disc golf course locations, hole counts and coordinates, free and key-free. Sports › Stats | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live | |
Dog APIDog breed characteristics, photos, breed groups, and random facts, no key needed. Nature & Outdoors › Animals | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
Flickr APISearch, upload and manage Flickr photos; public feeds expose recent public uploads with no key. Media & Entertainment › Images & Photos | Free | API key | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
iDigBioSearch millions of digitized natural history museum specimen records by taxon, locality and collector. Health & Science › Biology | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live | |
ITISUS government taxonomic database of scientific and common names, hierarchy and classification for species. Health & Science › Biology | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
IUCN Red ListConservation status and extinction-risk data for assessed animal and plant species worldwide. Nature & Outdoors › Animals | API key | JSON | — | Untested | |
LuchtmeetnetReal-time and forecast air quality measurements from Dutch government monitoring stations. Weather & Environment › Air Quality | Free | None | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
MET Norway LocationforecastNine-day point forecasts for any latitude/longitude with weather symbol codes and UV, richest for the Nordics Weather & Environment › Forecasts | Free | None | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
MovebankAnimal movement and biologging data (GPS, accelerometer) shared by research groups worldwide. Nature & Outdoors › Animals | Free | API key | JSON | — | Live |
NASA FIRMSSatellite active-fire hotspots from MODIS, VIIRS and Landsat by bounding box and date, near real-time. Weather & Environment › Natural Disasters | Free | API key | CSV | 10k+/day | Live |
National Park ServiceUS national park details, alerts, campgrounds, visitor centers, events and photos, keyed by park code. Nature & Outdoors › Parks | Free | API key | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
National Weather ServiceOfficial US forecasts on a 2.5 km grid, active watches and warnings, and station observations, as GeoJSON. Weather & Environment › Forecasts | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
Open Topo DataPoint elevation and ocean-depth lookups from open datasets like SRTM, ASTER, and GEBCO. Location & Mapping › Geocoding | Free | None | JSON | 1k–10k/day | Live |
Open-MeteoHourly and daily forecasts up to 16 days built from national weather-service models, callable without a key. Weather & Environment › Forecasts | Freemium | None | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
OpenAQAggregated PM2.5, NO2, O3 and other pollutant readings from ground monitoring stations worldwide. Weather & Environment › Air Quality | Freemium | API key | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
openSenseMapLive readings from crowdsourced senseBox weather/air-quality stations worldwide. Weather & Environment › Forecasts | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live | |
Overpass APIQuery OpenStreetMap by tag, area and bounding box: shops, trails, water points, any mapped feature. Location & Mapping › Places | Free | None | JSON | 1k–10k/day | Degraded |
Recreation Information Database (RIDB)US federal recreation areas, campgrounds, trails, permits and historic sites from Recreation.gov. Nature & Outdoors › Parks | API key | JSON | — | Live | |
Sunrise SunsetSunrise, sunset, twilight, golden hour, sun position and moon phase for any coordinates, a year per call. Weather & Environment › Astronomy | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
Sunrise-Sunset.org APICalculates sunrise, sunset, twilight windows, and solar noon for any latitude/longitude and date. Weather & Environment › Astronomy | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
TrefleAround a million plant records: taxonomy, common names, distribution, images, edibility and growth traits. Nature & Outdoors › Plants | Free | API key | JSON | 10k+/day | Live |
WoRMSAuthoritative taxonomic register of marine species names, synonyms, and classification data. Health & Science › Biology | Free | None | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
xeno-cantoSearch and stream crowdsourced wildlife sound recordings by species, location and recording metadata. Nature & Outdoors › Animals | Free | API key | JSON | Unlimited | Live |
Breed Health ScoreFreeLive
Health scores, median lifespan and hereditary conditions for 155 dog breeds, from peer-reviewed data.
None · JSON
Unlimited
OpenAPI spec · llms.txt
CycleCalcsFreemiumLive
Computed sun, moon, planet, and eclipse data for any location and date, no key needed.
None · JSON
1k–10k/day
MCP server · llms.txt
DiscGolfLive
Worldwide disc golf course locations, hole counts and coordinates, free and key-free.
None · JSON
Unlimited
llms.txt
Dog APIFreeLive
Dog breed characteristics, photos, breed groups, and random facts, no key needed.
None · JSON
Unlimited
llms.txt
Flickr APIFreeLive
Search, upload and manage Flickr photos; public feeds expose recent public uploads with no key.
API key · JSON
10k+/day
OpenAPI spec
iDigBioLive
Search millions of digitized natural history museum specimen records by taxon, locality and collector.
None · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
ITISFreeLive
US government taxonomic database of scientific and common names, hierarchy and classification for species.
None · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
IUCN Red ListUntested
Conservation status and extinction-risk data for assessed animal and plant species worldwide.
API key · JSON
—
no machine-readable spec
LuchtmeetnetFreeLive
Real-time and forecast air quality measurements from Dutch government monitoring stations.
None · JSON
10k+/day
no machine-readable spec
MET Norway LocationforecastFreeLive
Nine-day point forecasts for any latitude/longitude with weather symbol codes and UV, richest for the Nordics
None · JSON
10k+/day
OpenAPI spec
MovebankFreeLive
Animal movement and biologging data (GPS, accelerometer) shared by research groups worldwide.
API key · JSON
—
no machine-readable spec
NASA FIRMSFreeLive
Satellite active-fire hotspots from MODIS, VIIRS and Landsat by bounding box and date, near real-time.
API key · CSV
10k+/day
no machine-readable spec
National Park ServiceFreeLive
US national park details, alerts, campgrounds, visitor centers, events and photos, keyed by park code.
API key · JSON
10k+/day
OpenAPI spec
National Weather ServiceFreeLive
Official US forecasts on a 2.5 km grid, active watches and warnings, and station observations, as GeoJSON.
None · JSON
Unlimited
OpenAPI spec
Open Topo DataFreeLive
Point elevation and ocean-depth lookups from open datasets like SRTM, ASTER, and GEBCO.
None · JSON
1k–10k/day
no machine-readable spec
Open-MeteoFreemiumLive
Hourly and daily forecasts up to 16 days built from national weather-service models, callable without a key.
None · JSON
10k+/day
no machine-readable spec
OpenAQFreemiumLive
Aggregated PM2.5, NO2, O3 and other pollutant readings from ground monitoring stations worldwide.
API key · JSON
10k+/day
no machine-readable spec
openSenseMapLive
Live readings from crowdsourced senseBox weather/air-quality stations worldwide.
None · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
Overpass APIFreeDegraded
Query OpenStreetMap by tag, area and bounding box: shops, trails, water points, any mapped feature.
None · JSON
1k–10k/day
no machine-readable spec
Recreation Information Database (RIDB)Live
US federal recreation areas, campgrounds, trails, permits and historic sites from Recreation.gov.
API key · JSON
—
no machine-readable spec
Sunrise SunsetFreeLive
Sunrise, sunset, twilight, golden hour, sun position and moon phase for any coordinates, a year per call.
None · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
Sunrise-Sunset.org APIFreeLive
Calculates sunrise, sunset, twilight windows, and solar noon for any latitude/longitude and date.
None · JSON
Unlimited
llms.txt
TrefleFreeLive
Around a million plant records: taxonomy, common names, distribution, images, edibility and growth traits.
API key · JSON
10k+/day
no machine-readable spec
WoRMSFreeLive
Authoritative taxonomic register of marine species names, synonyms, and classification data.
None · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
xeno-cantoFreeLive
Search and stream crowdsourced wildlife sound recordings by species, location and recording metadata.
API key · JSON
Unlimited
no machine-readable spec
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