Which bird is traditionally a symbol of peace?

The dove is traditionally a symbol of peace. In its most familiar form, a white dove carries or is shown beside an olive branch, creating an image associated with reconciliation and the end of conflict.

The symbolism draws on the biblical story of Noah, in which a dove returns to the ark with an olive leaf after the flood. Early Christians combined this image with the dove representing the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism. By the second and third centuries, the dove had also begun to represent social and political peace.

The modern image became even more widely recognized through Pablo Picasso’s lithograph La Colombe. The artwork was selected as the emblem of the World Peace Council in Paris in April 1949, helping make the dove a global symbol of postwar peace movements.

“Dove” and “pigeon” can be confusing terms because both belong to the family Columbidae. The peace symbol is usually depicted as a white dove, but the cultural meaning matters more than a strict species identification.