Noah first sent out a raven to test whether the Flood waters had receded.
Genesis 8:7 says that Noah released a raven after the ark had come to rest and the waters were decreasing. The raven went back and forth until the waters had dried from the earth. Noah then sent a dove on separate occasions to obtain a more specific sign about the condition of the land.
The dove’s return with an olive leaf is the most famous bird episode, so readers sometimes remember the dove as the first bird released. In the sequence given by Genesis, however, the raven comes first and the dove follows.
The two birds function differently in the narrative. The raven’s continued flight indicates that it could find places to rest or feed, while the dove’s return or failure to return supplies a clearer signal to Noah. This detail is one of the story’s most frequently overlooked chronological points.