In Genesis, a dove returns to Noah carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf after the Flood waters recede.
Noah sends the dove from the ark to learn whether the waters have diminished. On its first flight, it returns because it finds no place to rest. Seven days later, Noah sends it again, and the dove comes back in the evening with an olive leaf. After another seven days, Noah sends it once more, and the dove does not return.
The olive leaf provides narrative evidence that vegetation has reappeared above the waters. It is not merely a decorative detail: it tells Noah that the landscape is becoming habitable again. The dove’s return with the leaf is also the source of the familiar “olive branch” association with peace.
Genesis distinguishes this bird from the raven, which Noah sends first. Many retellings focus on the dove and omit the raven, but the original sequence includes both birds.