Which bird did Noah release first to test the floodwaters?

Noah first released a raven to test the floodwaters.

Genesis 8:7 says that Noah sent out a raven after the ark came to rest and the waters began to diminish. The bird went back and forth until the waters dried up from the earth. Noah then sent a dove, whose repeated returns provided more specific information about whether dry land and vegetation were available.

The raven and dove serve different narrative functions. The raven’s behavior is described briefly and ambiguously, while the dove’s return with an olive leaf gives Noah a clear sign that the environment was changing.

Popular retellings sometimes mention only the dove because it is associated with the olive leaf and peace. In the sequence of Genesis 8, however, the raven is the first bird named as being released. This makes the order a useful detail for distinguishing the full account from simplified versions.