Documentation for the REST API to download animal tracking data from the Movebank database via HTTP/CSV or JSON/JavaScript requests.
Movebank REST API is the documentation and interface specification for programmatically downloading animal tracking and sensor data from the Movebank database. It describes how to build HTTP calls to retrieve data in CSV or JSON formats, enabling researchers to automate data access for analysis. The API connects to Movebank, a free online research platform hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior.
Animal tracking researchers, ecologists, and data scientists who need to programmatically access and integrate Movebank's sensor data into their analysis pipelines or custom tools.
It provides a standardized, scriptable way to access one of the largest curated repositories of animal movement data, supporting reproducible research and seamless integration with analytical environments like R (via the move2 package).
Description of download interface to build calls to the Movebank database using HTTP/CSV or JSON/JavaScript requests
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The API supports HTTP requests to download data in CSV or JSON formats, enabling easy integration into analysis workflows, as highlighted in the README's key features.
It connects to Movebank, a free online platform hosting a vast repository of animal tracking and sensor data from studies worldwide, facilitating large-scale ecological research.
Designed to enable open and reproducible research by providing structured access to shared data, aligning with Movebank's philosophy of data management and archiving.
Specifically mentions compatibility with R via the move2 package, allowing seamless data import into statistical analysis environments, as noted in the README.
The README warns that studies have varying levels of completeness, with deployment periods and species names potentially undefined, requiring additional data cleaning efforts.
API description is in a separate markdown file (movebank-api.md), and users are directed to explore the web interface first, increasing the learning curve and setup time.
The API is tightly coupled to Movebank's ecosystem, meaning changes to Movebank's platform or data policies could break custom integrations without alternatives.