In Genesis’s Noah’s Ark story, Noah first sent a raven after the Flood, and it failed to find dry land.
Genesis 8 describes Noah opening the Ark’s window and releasing a raven. The bird flew back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah then sent a dove, creating the better-known sequence of bird tests.
The raven is sometimes confused with the dove because the dove later became the story’s familiar symbol of peace and renewal. In the biblical account, however, the raven comes first. The dove’s later returns provide more specific signs: it initially finds nowhere to rest, then returns with an olive leaf, and finally does not return.
Ravens are well suited to long-distance scavenging and can fly repeatedly over broad areas, but Genesis does not explain why Noah selected this bird or how it behaved beyond the brief account.