According to Genesis, a raven was the first creature Noah sent out of the Ark after the Flood. Genesis 8:7 says Noah released the raven, which went back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth.
Noah then sent out a dove to test whether the floodwaters had receded. The dove initially found nowhere to land and returned. After seven days, Noah sent it again, and it came back with a freshly plucked olive leaf. A later release did not return, showing that the land had become habitable.
Readers sometimes remember the dove as the first bird because it became the best-known symbol of the story. In the biblical sequence, however, the raven comes first. The raven’s behavior is described differently: unlike the dove, it is not said to return directly to Noah. The episode combines a survival narrative with an ancient observational test for dry land.