A raven was sent out first from Noah’s Ark, according to Genesis.
After the floodwaters began to recede, Noah opened the ark’s window and sent out a raven. Genesis says the raven went to and fro until the waters had dried from the earth. The passage then describes Noah sending a dove to test whether the water had diminished from the land.
The sequence is often remembered incorrectly because the dove becomes the more famous bird in the story. The dove returns with an olive leaf, providing a clear sign that vegetation has reappeared. Later, Noah sends the dove again, and it does not return, indicating that the land is becoming habitable.
The raven and dove serve different narrative roles. The raven’s repeated flight is described briefly, while the dove’s returns create the story’s best-known image of hope after the disaster. Genesis does not say that the raven returned carrying a leaf.