In Genesis, the first thing Noah sent from the Ark to test the receding waters was a raven. Genesis 8:7 records this release after the Ark had come to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
The raven went back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah then sent a dove, beginning a more detailed sequence of tests. The dove first returned without finding a resting place.
After seven days, Noah sent the dove again, and it returned with an olive leaf. A final release ended with the dove not returning, indicating that the surface had become suitable for life outside the Ark.
Because the dove and olive leaf are more familiar in popular culture, retellings sometimes omit or reverse the opening step. Genesis’s order is raven first, followed by the dove.