According to Genesis, Noah first released a raven to test whether the floodwaters had receded.
Genesis 8:7 says Noah sent out a raven, which went to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. The narrative then turns to a dove, which Noah released several times to look for evidence of exposed land.
The raven is often overlooked because the dove’s return with an olive leaf is the more famous scene. Yet the biblical order is clear: raven first, followed by the dove. The two birds serve different narrative roles in the account’s search for signs of a changed landscape.
Later retellings, artworks, and children’s versions sometimes focus only on the dove. That simplification can make the dove seem like the first bird, but Genesis explicitly places the raven earlier in the sequence.