In the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim released a dove first to test whether the floodwaters had receded.
After the storm, Utnapishtim sends out birds one after another. The first is a dove, which returns because it finds no place to land. He then releases a swallow, which also returns. Finally, he sends a raven; the raven finds food and does not come back, showing that the waters have fallen enough for life to reappear.
This sequence differs from the Genesis account of Noah's Ark. Genesis places a raven before the dove and later describes the dove returning with an olive leaf. The Epic of Gilgamesh instead uses dove, swallow, and raven, with the raven's failure to return providing the final sign.
The flood tablet is one of the best-known passages in Mesopotamian literature because of its parallels with Genesis. Similarity does not mean the stories are identical: their gods, motivations, boat descriptions, and endings differ significantly.