The dove first returned to Noah with a freshly plucked olive leaf from beyond the Ark.
Genesis 8 says Noah sent out a dove after first releasing a raven. The dove initially found nowhere to rest and returned to him. After seven days, Noah sent it out again, and it came back with an olive leaf, showing that the floodwaters had receded enough for vegetation to be visible.
Noah sent the dove out once more after another seven days. This time it did not return, suggesting that the land was becoming habitable. The olive leaf therefore functions as a concrete sign within the story that the waters were declining.
The phrase “olive branch” is widely used as a symbol of peace, but Genesis specifically describes an olive leaf. The bird carrying it is the dove, while the raven is the first bird Noah releases in the sequence.