In Genesis, Noah waited seven days between the dove’s first and second flights. Genesis 8:10 says he waited another seven days before sending the dove again after its initial return.
The first flight ended when the dove returned because it found no place to rest. After the seven-day interval, the dove came back carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah waited a further seven days before releasing it for a third time, and it did not return.
This detail is separate from the period Noah waited before sending the dove after the raven. The Genesis sequence first mentions the raven, then the dove’s unsuccessful first flight, followed by repeated seven-day intervals.
The repeated interval gives the bird tests a measured rhythm within the Flood chronology. It also prevents the common mistake of answering forty days, which is the stated duration of the rain rather than the waiting period between these two dove flights.