According to Genesis, Noah first sent a raven out from the Ark.
Genesis 8:7 says that Noah released a raven after the flood waters began to recede. The raven went back and forth until the waters dried from the earth. Noah later sent out a dove, whose repeated journeys provide the better-known signs of returning land.
The raven and dove are sometimes reversed in popular retellings because the dove carrying an olive leaf is the most famous bird episode. In the biblical sequence, however, the raven comes first.
The passage does not explain why Noah selected a raven. Ravens are strong, adaptable birds and can travel considerable distances, but biological observations do not determine the narrative’s theological meaning. The bird sequence belongs specifically to Genesis chapter 8.