According to Genesis, Noah first released a raven from Noah’s Ark after the floodwaters receded.
Genesis 8:7 says Noah sent out a raven, which flew back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. The passage then describes Noah sending a dove to check whether the floodwaters had fallen. The raven therefore comes first in the biblical sequence.
A common mix-up is to remember only the dove, because the dove returns with an olive leaf and becomes the better-known symbol of peace and renewal. In the text, however, the raven is the first bird Noah releases. The birds are part of Noah’s effort to determine when it is safe to leave the ark.
The account does not identify the raven as a special species or give a personal name. Its role is simply that of the first bird sent out after the flood. The later dove episodes provide more detailed signs about the condition of the land.