# Plot comparative distribution maps for taxa **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature Requests\ **Created:** [February 13, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158 "2020-02-13T15:25:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrtnlowr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mrtnlowr/32/6890_2.png) [@mrtnlowr](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mrtnlowr)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/1 "2020-02-13T15:25:36Z")
Hi Developers, I quite frequently like to plot the distributions of related taxa on the same map to look for potential sympatry or boundaries. Would it be possible to implement that on the taxon page for, lets say, up to 5 taxa represented by symbols of different colours? ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/2 "2020-02-13T15:28:30Z")
There is some existing functionality for this, but it’s not linked to anywhere and is a bit clunky. It requires manually entering in the taxon\_ids into the URL (and doesn’t display the colors in the legend). [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=121976,121951,81599](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=121976,121951,81599) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/77ed78d973f7f1970bf292c716d3037293a149a2.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![jdjohnson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jdjohnson/32/1456_2.png) [@jdjohnson](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jdjohnson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/3 "2020-02-13T16:50:36Z")
There’s also this tool [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/compare](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/compare) Slightly less clunky and it adds the stats pane. ---
**Author:** ![mrtnlowr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mrtnlowr/32/6890_2.png) [@mrtnlowr](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mrtnlowr)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/4 "2020-02-13T17:39:38Z")
Doesn’t seem to work :( I tried with Query 1: taxon=870009 and Query 2: taxon=869998. Nothing happened. ---
**Author:** ![jdjohnson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jdjohnson/32/1456_2.png) [@jdjohnson](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jdjohnson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/5 "2020-02-13T17:48:29Z")
> [@mrtnlowr](#): > > Query 1: taxon=870009 and Query 2: taxon=869998. I think you need Query 1: taxon\_id=870009 and Query 2: taxon\_id=869998 ---
**Author:** ![jdjohnson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jdjohnson/32/1456_2.png) [@jdjohnson](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jdjohnson)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/6 "2020-02-13T17:54:49Z")
This discussion has some tips for the query strings: [https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-use-inaturalists-search-urls-wiki/63](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-use-inaturalists-search-urls-wiki/63) Any of the urls that start with "[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?"](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?%22) should work in the compare tool, just use everything that appears after the “?” For example “[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon\_ids=85553,26039,47113&place\_id=7613,10301](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_ids=85553,26039,47113&place_id=7613,10301)” would be taxon\_ids=85553,26039,47113&place\_id=7613,10301 in the compare query. ---
**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/7 "2020-02-13T19:42:31Z")
[https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/compare?s=eyJxdWVyaWVzIjpbeyJuYW1lIjoiUXVlcnkgMSIsInBhcmFtcyI6InRheG9uX2lkPTg3MDAwOSAifSx7Im5hbWUiOiJRdWVyeSAyIiwicGFyYW1zIjoidGF4b25faWQ9ODY5OTk4In1dLCJ0YWIiOiJtYXAiLCJ0YXhvbkZpbHRlciI6Im5vbmUiLCJ0YXhvbkZyZXF1ZW5jaWVzU29ydEluZGV4IjowLCJ0YXhvbkZyZXF1ZW5jaWVzU29ydE9yZGVyIjoiYXNjIiwibWFwTGF5b3V0IjoiY29tYmluZWQiLCJoaXN0b3J5TGF5b3V0IjoiY29tYmluZWQiLCJoaXN0b3J5SW50ZXJ2YWwiOiJ3ZWVrIn0%3D](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/compare?s=eyJxdWVyaWVzIjpbeyJuYW1lIjoiUXVlcnkgMSIsInBhcmFtcyI6InRheG9uX2lkPTg3MDAwOSAifSx7Im5hbWUiOiJRdWVyeSAyIiwicGFyYW1zIjoidGF4b25faWQ9ODY5OTk4In1dLCJ0YWIiOiJtYXAiLCJ0YXhvbkZpbHRlciI6Im5vbmUiLCJ0YXhvbkZyZXF1ZW5jaWVzU29ydEluZGV4IjowLCJ0YXhvbkZyZXF1ZW5jaWVzU29ydE9yZGVyIjoiYXNjIiwibWFwTGF5b3V0IjoiY29tYmluZWQiLCJoaXN0b3J5TGF5b3V0IjoiY29tYmluZWQiLCJoaXN0b3J5SW50ZXJ2YWwiOiJ3ZWVrIn0%3D) ---
**Author:** ![greatrumpuscat](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/greatrumpuscat/32/29320_2.png) [@greatrumpuscat](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/greatrumpuscat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/plot-comparative-distribution-maps-for-taxa/10158/8 "2025-11-23T02:55:21Z")
This seems valuable for research purposes. For example identifying when an invasive plant is encroaching on a rare plant. Or, looking for areas of certain plant communities using conjunction of indicator species.