Background: Seed dispersal allows plants to colonize new habitats that has an signifcant infuence on plant distri‑butionpopulation dynamics. Orchids produce numerous tiny seeds without endosperm, which are considered to be mainly wind-dispersed. Here, we report avian seed dispersal for an early diverging orchid species, Neuwiedia singapureana, which produces feshy fruits with hard seed coats in the understory of tropical forests.Results: Neuwiedia singapureana produced feshy fruits that turned red in autumn,birds were confrmed to be the primary seed dispersers. As compared to its sister species, N. veratrifolia with dehiscent capsular fruits, embryos of N. singapureana were largerenclosed by thickenedlignifed seed coats. After passing through the diges‑tive tracts of birds, the seeds still stayed alive,the walls of seed coat contained several cracks. The germination percentage increased signifcantly for digested seeds as compared with seeds from intact fruits.Conclusion: The thickenedlignifed seed coat may protect seeds as they passed through the digestive tracts of birds. Taken together with a recent report of insect-mediated seed dispersal system in the subfamily Apostasioideae, the animal-mediated seed dispersal may be an adaptive mechanism promoting the success of colonization in dark understory habitats