In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim sends out a dove first to find land after the flood.
The bird returns because it finds no place to land. Utnapishtim then sends a swallow, which also returns, followed by a raven. The raven finds food and does not come back, showing that the waters have receded enough for the survivor to leave the boat.
This sequence resembles the bird episode in Genesis but is not identical. In Genesis, Noah first sends a raven and later sends a dove several times. The different order is one of the clearest narrative distinctions between the Mesopotamian flood account and the biblical account.