scrapeBirdlife.R

require(XML)
scrapeBirdlife <- function(searchterm){

webaddress <- paste("http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowbsearchresults.php?a=ns&SearchTerms", searchterm, sep='=')

aa <- readLines(webaddress)
# scrap only web address, common name, species name, IUCN status

aa <- aa[grep('species/factsheet', aa)]
aa <- gsub('<li><a href=\"','',aa)
aa <- gsub('\">','--',aa)
aa <- gsub(' <i>','--',aa)
aa <- gsub("</i> \\(",'--',aa)
aa <- gsub("\\)<.a><.li>",'',aa)

# Make it a table

aa <- do.call(rbind, strsplit(aa, '--'))
aa[,1] <- paste('http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/',aa[,1],'/additional', sep='')

aa
}

# EXAMPLE
scrapeBirdlife('Sturnidae')