Now the differences between ravens and crows come into sharper focus—not just in biology, but in story, patience, and place. Barry Lopez’s essay The Raven, from Desert Notes, meditates on what separates the wanderer from the one who stays. There are no crows in the desert, he writes—only ravens with breath held in shadow, wings glinting with dew. Through Lopez’s lens, the raven becomes a guide to the quiet knowledge of the land, while the crow stands as a necessary contrast, the absent twin.
Desert Notes and River Notes was my introduction to Barry Holstun Lopez. The Raven, an essay from Desert Notes, has received academic and critical notice for its subtle prose. Broadly speaking it is an exploration of the contrast and comparison between Ravens and Crows. I have included a PDF (click below) of the Raven essay. The Raven essay begins, ” I am going to start at the other end by telling you: there are no crows in the desert. What appears to be crows are ravens. You must examine the crow, to understand the raven. To forget the crow completely, as some have tried to do, would be like trying to understand the one who stayed, without talking to the one who left. It is important to make note of the one who left the desert.”
Meet Barry Lopez
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About Barry Holstun Lopez
Barry Holstun Lopez (January 6, 1945 – December 25, 2020) was a revered American author, essayist, and nature writer whose works bridged landscapes and the human spirit. Known for his deep environmental and humanitarian concerns, Lopez explored distant regions—from the Arctic wilderness to desert silence—examining how cultures shape, and are shaped by, the natural world. His landmark book Arctic Dreams (1986) earned the National Book Award for Nonfiction, while Of Wolves and Men (1978) was a finalist.
Born in Port Chester, New York, Lopez moved west in childhood and was later adopted by Adrian Lopez, whose name he carried into literary history. He graduated from Loyola School in Manhattan and studied at the University of Notre Dame, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in 1966 and 1968. Lopez also attended NYU and the University of Oregon.
In a career spanning over 50 years and 80 countries, his writing appeared in Harper’s Magazine, National Geographic, The Paris Review, and many others—always illuminating the quiet connections between nature, place, and meaning.
What Is the Difference Between a Raven and a Crow
American and Northwestern crows are known for close family bonds. Pairs of birds mate for life, and older crow offspring will pitch in to raise the younger ones. During the egg incubation period, the mama crow has food delivered a few times an hour by her mate and other family helpers. Cornell researcher Kevin McGowan has witnessed crow families of up to 15 birds simultaneously.
It gets sweeter: At hatching time, other crows visit just out of curiosity about the new baby. Researcher Lawrence Kilham observed mother crows greeting these visitors by moving slightly to the side to give them a peek. In crow families, adults can stick around their parents’ territory for a while, sometimes several years. Even once they move out, they may come back occasionally, sometimes to help with nest-building.
While mating and hatching seasons are big deals in crow family life, the learning-to-fly season is also up there. Many young birds of other species don’t see their parents again after getting pushed out of the nest for the first time. Still, crows keep a close eye on their juveniles while running around on the ground — and occasionally, an unsuspecting human will get a little too close and dive-bombed. {1)
Barry Lopez—A Way Out of Our Predicament
Barry Lopez: The Search for Meaning in A Broken World
Music and Nature: Barry Lopez and Steve Schick — Helen Edison Lecture Series
