In the Genesis flood narrative, Noah first sent out a raven before sending a dove.
After the floodwaters began to recede, Genesis 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 then sent a dove to determine whether the ground had become habitable.
The dove returned because it found no place to rest. After seven days, Noah sent it again, and it came back with a freshly plucked olive leaf. A third release ended with the dove not returning, signaling that dry land was available.
Popular retellings often focus almost entirely on the dove and olive leaf, so the raven is sometimes omitted from memory. In the biblical sequence, however, the raven is explicitly the first bird sent out, followed by repeated tests using the dove.