In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the flood survivor releases a dove first to test whether the waters have receded.
In Tablet XI, Utnapishtim sends out a dove, but it finds no resting place and returns. He then releases a swallow, which also returns. Finally, he sends a raven; because the raven finds food and does not come back, Utnapishtim understands that the land is becoming habitable.
This sequence differs from Genesis, where Noah first sends a raven and later sends doves. The parallel is one of the clearest links between the Mesopotamian flood tradition and the biblical narrative, while the order and bird details remain distinct.
The Epic of Gilgamesh version survives in Akkadian cuneiform tablets, especially the Standard Babylonian edition. The flood episode is embedded in Gilgamesh’s quest to learn how Utnapishtim obtained immortality.