After the raven, which bird did Noah send from Noah’s Ark in Genesis?

The story behind the answer

After sending the raven, Noah sent a dove from the ark in Genesis.

Genesis 8 describes Noah opening the ark’s window and sending out a raven. The account then says he sent a dove to see whether the waters had subsided from the ground. The dove returned because it found no resting place, and Noah waited before sending it again.

On its second return, the dove carried a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah understood this as evidence that the floodwaters were receding. A later release produced no return, indicating that the land was becoming habitable.

The dove and olive leaf became a widely recognized image of peace and renewal, although the rainbow is the specific covenant sign introduced later in Genesis 9. The bird sequence matters: the raven comes first, followed by the dove, so the answer is not the raven.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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