Noah first sent out a raven after the waters began to recede, according to Genesis.
Genesis 8:7 says Noah sent a raven from the Ark. The bird went back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah then sent a dove to check whether the floodwaters had receded from the surface.
This sequence is distinct from the later dove episodes. Genesis describes the raven first, followed by a dove sent out three times under different circumstances. Because popular retellings focus on the dove and its olive leaf, the raven’s earlier role is often overlooked.
The answer is specifically a raven, not simply “a bird.” The narrative names the species and places it at the beginning of Noah’s post-Flood bird tests.