What did the dove bring back to Noah after its second flight from the Ark?

After its second flight from the Ark, the dove brought Noah an olive leaf.

Genesis 8 says Noah sent the dove out again seven days after its first release. This time, the bird returned in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak. Noah understood this as evidence that the floodwaters had receded from the earth’s surface.

The dove’s olive leaf became one of the most recognizable images associated with the flood story. In later art and popular culture, it developed into a broader symbol of peace and reconciliation, even though the Genesis passage specifically uses it as evidence of returning vegetation.

The dove made one more flight seven days later and did not return. That final result showed Noah that the land was becoming habitable, although he waited for God’s instruction before leaving the ark.