In Genesis, Noah first releases a raven after the floodwaters begin to recede.
Genesis 8 describes Noah opening the Ark’s window and sending out a raven. The bird flies back and forth until the waters have dried from the earth. Noah then sends a dove to investigate the condition of the land, creating the better-known sequence of bird episodes.
The raven and dove serve different narrative roles. The raven’s behavior is reported briefly, while the dove is sent repeatedly: it first returns because it finds no resting place, then comes back with a freshly plucked olive leaf, and finally does not return. These details mark the gradual retreat of the floodwaters.
A common mix-up is to answer “dove,” because the dove is the bird most closely associated with the story in popular culture. In the order given by Genesis, however, the raven is released first and the dove follows.