In the Genesis account, a raven is the first bird Noah sends out from the Ark to search for land. Genesis 8:7 says Noah released the raven after the waters began to recede.
The raven is followed by a dove, which Noah sends out repeatedly. The dove becomes the better-known bird in the story because it eventually returns with a freshly plucked olive leaf, showing that vegetation has reappeared. A later release of the dove produces no return, signaling that the land is becoming habitable.
This sequence is sometimes simplified in retellings that begin with the dove, but Genesis explicitly places the raven first. The birds function as practical signs within the narrative, helping Noah determine whether the Flood waters have fallen sufficiently.
Ravens and doves also carry wider symbolic associations in biblical literature, but the Genesis passage presents them primarily as animals used to test the conditions outside the Ark.