In Genesis, a raven was the first bird Noah sent out from the Ark, and it did not return to him.
After the Flood waters began to subside, Genesis 8:7 says Noah released a raven. The bird went back and forth until the waters dried from the earth. Noah then sent a dove to determine whether the ground had become habitable.
The dove episode receives more detail: the first dove returned because it found nowhere to rest, the second returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf, and the third did not return. These birds serve as signs in the narrative, marking the gradual retreat of the waters.
A common mix-up is saying that the dove was the first bird released. In the Genesis sequence, the raven comes first. The dove is the bird associated with the olive leaf, but that later symbol should not replace the earlier raven episode.