According to Genesis, the dove brought an olive leaf back to Noah from outside the Ark.
Genesis 8:11 says the dove returned in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah understood this as evidence that the floodwaters had receded enough for vegetation to emerge or become reachable. He sent the dove again later, and it did not return, providing another sign that the earth was becoming habitable.
The olive leaf is often shortened in everyday retellings to “an olive branch.” Genesis specifically mentions a leaf, while the broader symbol of an olive branch became associated with peace in later cultural traditions. The two ideas are related but not identical to the wording of the passage.
The bird episode is one of the most recognizable scenes in the ark narrative. It functions as a practical test within the story: Noah uses the dove’s return and non-return to judge changing conditions outside the vessel.