In the Genesis flood story, the dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf.
Genesis 8:11 says that the dove returned to Noah in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf. This showed that the floodwaters had receded enough for vegetation to reappear or remain above the water. Noah had sent the dove after first releasing a raven and after an earlier dove flight that produced no resting place.
The olive leaf became one of the best-known images associated with the Ark story. In later art and popular culture, a dove carrying an olive branch often represents peace, reconciliation, or the end of danger. The biblical wording specifically says “olive leaf,” while the broader symbol is commonly described as an olive branch.
Genesis says the dove was sent again after this return and did not come back. Noah then removed the covering of the Ark and eventually left it when God instructed him to do so.