In the Genesis flood narrative, Noah released a raven first after the ark rested.
Genesis 8 says the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat during the seventh month. After the waters continued to recede, Noah opened the ark’s window and sent out a raven. The bird went back and forth until the water had dried from the earth.
Noah then began a separate series of tests with a dove. The dove initially returned because it found no place to rest, later came back with an olive leaf, and finally did not return. These episodes show Noah using birds to assess the changing conditions outside the ark.
The sequence is easy to reverse in memory because the dove’s olive leaf is the story’s most famous image. In the actual Genesis order, the raven comes first. The ark resting on the mountains and the bird releases are distinct moments in the narrative’s chronology.