The first bird Noah sent out after the floodwaters began to recede was a raven.
Genesis 8 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 find out whether the surface of the ground had become usable.
The raven and the dove serve different roles in the narrative. The raven’s behavior is described briefly, while the dove is sent repeatedly and becomes associated with the signs that the waters are retreating.
A common mix-up is to remember only the dove because it provides the better-known image of the flood story. In the sequence given by Genesis, however, the raven comes first and the dove follows.