In Genesis, Noah first released a raven from the Ark to test whether the waters had receded.
Genesis 8:7 says Noah sent out a raven after the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The raven went back and forth until the waters dried from the Earth. Noah then sent a dove on separate occasions, making the raven the first bird named in this part of the account.
The dove’s behavior provides the more famous signs of progress. On its second flight, it returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf, and on its third release it did not return. The raven and dove therefore have distinct places in the sequence, even though retellings sometimes mention only the dove.
The passage does not describe the raven as carrying a message to Noah. Its release is an observational test within the story, followed by the more detailed dove episodes.