In Genesis, Noah's dove returns with an olive leaf after the flood begins to recede. Noah first sends out a raven, then sends a dove to test whether the waters have gone down from the earth.
The dove initially finds no place to rest and returns to the ark. After seven days, Noah sends it again, and the bird comes back in the evening carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf. A later release results in the dove not returning, signaling that the land is becoming habitable again.
The olive leaf therefore functions as evidence, not merely decoration. It gives Noah a visible sign that vegetation has reappeared above the floodwaters. Over centuries, the scene has also made the dove and olive branch widely recognized symbols of peace, hope, and the end of conflict.
A common mix-up is to remember only the olive branch. Genesis specifically describes a freshly plucked olive leaf in the bird's beak. The earlier bird sent by Noah is a raven, so the raven and dove should not be treated as the same episode.