After the flood, Noah first released a raven from Noah’s Ark. Genesis 8:7 says that Noah sent out a raven, which flew back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth.
Noah then sent out a dove to discover whether the floodwater had receded. The dove returned because it initially found no place to rest. Seven days later, Noah sent it out again, and it came back with a freshly plucked olive leaf. A final release produced no return, signaling that the ground was becoming habitable.
The raven and dove have different narrative roles. The raven’s repeated flight indicates ongoing searching, while the dove’s returns provide a clearer sequence of signs about the changing landscape.
Many illustrations focus only on the dove and olive leaf, so the raven is sometimes overlooked. In the Genesis order, however, the raven is explicitly the first bird Noah releases.