In Genesis, a raven was the first bird Noah released from the Ark.
Genesis 8:6–7 says that after the waters began to subside, Noah opened the ark’s window and sent out a raven. The raven flew back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah then sent out a dove to determine whether the ground was ready.
The dove is more famous in popular retellings because it later returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. However, the raven appears first in the biblical sequence. After another interval, Noah sent the dove again, and it did not return, indicating that it had found a place to land.
The passage is often discussed in relation to ancient bird symbolism and practical observation of the landscape. The text itself does not say that the raven brought back an object; that detail belongs to the dove’s later flight.