In Genesis, Noah sent out a dove three times to test whether the Flood waters had receded. The first flight ended with the dove returning because it found no resting place; the second produced an olive leaf; the third ended without the dove returning.
This sequence appears in Genesis 8:8–12 and follows Noah’s earlier release of a raven. The dove’s changing behavior gives Noah progressively stronger evidence that dry land is becoming available.
The olive leaf is often described as an olive branch in popular language, but Genesis specifically mentions a freshly plucked olive leaf. The account also says Noah waited seven days between these later releases, adding a repeated time pattern to the bird episode.