Interactive Birds is a brass sculpture by Chua Boon Kee in the Seed Dispersal Garden at Singapore Botanic Gardens. The outdoor garden surrounds the Seed Bank in the Bukit Timah Core. From Botanic Gardens MRT, enter through Bukit Timah Gate and follow the signs for the Seed Bank.
The sculpture shows three birds feeding on different plants. It gives children a way to see how a seed can leave the parent plant. Look at the birds first, then use the nearby plant displays to compare animal dispersal with seeds carried by wind or water.
- Where: The outdoor Seed Dispersal Garden around the Seed Bank.
- Starting point: Bukit Timah Gate.
- Look for: Three brass birds feeding on plants.
How to find the sculpture
Look up the Seed Bank on the Gardens’ map. When you arrive, check the outdoor paths around the building for the Seed Dispersal Garden. NParks also provides a sculpture trail map from Bukit Timah Gate, which is useful if you want to locate several artworks in one visit.
What the three birds show
NParks identifies the birds as an orange-bellied flowerpecker, a red-crowned barbet and a pink-necked green pigeon. Each is paired with a different plant. Ask children to look for the fruit or seed next to each bird before reading the names.
A bird can eat a fruit and carry the seeds elsewhere before passing them. A seed that lands in suitable conditions may grow away from the parent plant. That movement by animals is one type of seed dispersal.
What to see next
Look for the Javan Cucumber Seed sculpture by the same artist, also in the Seed Dispersal Garden. Its shape offers a contrast with the bird sculpture. Ask how a thin seed with wings could move without an animal carrying it. If you want to go inside the Seed Bank as well, check its separate opening hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is the sculpture inside the Seed Bank?
It is in the outdoor Seed Dispersal Garden around the Seed Bank.
Who made Interactive Birds?
Chua Boon Kee. NParks lists the installation year as 2019.
Which entrance should I use from the MRT?
Use Bukit Timah Gate when arriving at Botanic Gardens MRT.