--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The distribution of plants in a given…" description: "\"The distribution of plants in a given locality is not more marked and defined than that of the birds. Show a botanist a landscape, and he will tell you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/john-burroughs-1157_birds_the-distribution-of-plants-in-a-given-lo_2736474.png" --- # The distribution of plants in a given locality is not more… ![“The distribution of plants in a given locality is not more marked and defined than that of the birds. Show a botanist a landscape, and he will tell you where to look for the lady's-slipper, the columbine, or the harebell. On the same principles, the ornithologist will direct you where to look for…” quote by John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/john-burroughs-1157_birds_the-distribution-of-plants-in-a-given-lo_2736474.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/john-burroughs-1157_birds_the-distribution-of-plants-in-a-given-lo_2736474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dd/john-burroughs-1157_birds_the-distribution-of-plants-in-a-given-lo_2736474.png) > “The distribution of plants in a given locality is not more marked and defined than that of the birds. Show a botanist a landscape, and he will tell you where to look for the lady's-slipper, the columbine, or the harebell. On the same principles, the ornithologist will direct you where to look for the greenlets, the wood-sparrow, or the chewink.” [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Plant and bird distributions follow similar patterns; observing one helps locate the other. **In simple terms:** Nature’s patterns repeat across species. Key Takeaway Use analogies to predict unknowns. Themes nature observation analogy Mood analytical curious Type scientific educational When to use this quote - field research - conservation planning - education - wildlife photography Key Concepts Ecology pattern recognition Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply cross‑species clues in your work? - What limits do analogies have? A Different Perspective Analogies can oversimplify complex ecosystems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birds/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Landscape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscape/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) ## Related quotes > [If you want to see birds, you must have birds in your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/if-you-want-to-see-birds-you-must-have-birds-in-your-heart/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [“If birds can fend for themselves, it means there’s hope for our tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdulazeez-henry-musa/if-birds-can-fend-for-themselves-it-means-there-s-hope-for-our/) [Abdulazeez Henry Musa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdulazeez-henry-musa/) > [How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/how-can-you-expect-the-birds-to-sing-when-their-groves-are-cut-down/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [At one point, I had close to 100 birds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/at-one-point-i-had-close-to-100-birds/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [“I like the idea of songs sung by those without big voices. 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I swear some of them are more intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-aston/you-would-not-think-that-birds-who-have-no-brain-at-all-could-become/) [Elizabeth Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-aston/) > [“If you see birds flying high in the sky, it means clear weather. However, if you see a lot of birds roosting on power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-mckay/if-you-see-birds-flying-high-in-the-sky-it-means-clear-weather/) [Brett McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-mckay/) > [I'm terrified of heights, but I think there's something really beautiful about birds and soaring, having a bird's-eye view of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindy-booth/i-m-terrified-of-heights-but-i-think-there-s-something-really/) [Lindy Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindy-booth/) > [“It is as simple as that. Birds fly because they have wings and so when you can’t grow the wings, you can’t be called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-as-simple-as-that-birds-fly-because-they-have-wings-and-so-when/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“The day we decide to drop the flimsy makeshift scenarios in our cluttered mind and eschew the ‘alleluias’ of self-importance, life can become genuine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/the-day-we-decide-to-drop-the-flimsy-makeshift-scenarios-in-our/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“I like the idea of songs sung by those without big voices. You know, small birdsongs that rise above the noise of the city.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyo-maclear/i-like-the-idea-of-songs-sung-by-those-without-big-voices-you-know/) [Kyo Maclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyo-maclear/) > [At one point, I had close to 100 birds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-toriyama/at-one-point-i-had-close-to-100-birds/) [Akira Toriyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-toriyama/) > [How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/how-can-you-expect-the-birds-to-sing-when-their-groves-are-cut-down/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“If birds can fend for themselves, it means there’s hope for our tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdulazeez-henry-musa/if-birds-can-fend-for-themselves-it-means-there-s-hope-for-our/) [Abdulazeez Henry Musa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdulazeez-henry-musa/) > [Birds Fly in the Sky, because they don't know how to Cry! They know just one thing, to Sing!-RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/birds-fly-in-the-sky-because-they-don-t-know-how-to-cry-they-know/) RVM [Browse all 653 Birds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The distribution of plants in a given locality is not more marked and defined than that of the birds. Show a botanist a landscape, and he will tell you where to look for the lady's-slipper, the columbine, or the harebell. 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