In the Genesis account, Noah first sent out a raven after the Flood waters began receding.
Genesis 8 says Noah opened the Ark’s window and sent out a raven. The bird flew back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah later sent a dove to test whether the waters had receded from the ground, creating the more familiar bird episode.
The raven and dove serve different narrative moments. The raven’s behavior is described briefly, while the dove returns first because it finds nowhere to rest, then returns with a freshly plucked olive leaf, and finally does not return after a later release. These details mark the changing condition of the land.
A common memory mix-up reverses the order because the dove and olive leaf have become especially famous symbols of peace and renewal. In the Genesis sequence, however, the raven is explicitly sent first, followed by the dove.