In the Genesis Flood story, Noah first sent out a raven from the Ark.
Genesis 8:6–7 says that after forty days Noah opened the window he had made and sent out a raven. The raven went back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah then sent a dove to check whether the waters had receded from the ground.
The raven is therefore the first bird in the sequence, while the dove is the bird associated with the later olive-leaf report. Confusing those two steps is common because the dove receives more attention in retellings and artwork.
Genesis describes the birds as part of Noah’s effort to learn whether the land was ready. The text does not say that the raven returned carrying anything. The dove’s repeated flights provide the more detailed signs that the waters were retreating, but it was not the first bird Noah released.