Thommo has painted a pair of ngalkordow (brolgas, Grus rubicunda) feeding on a floodplain. Ngalkordow have elaborate courtship displays with elegant dances, and can often be seen in pairs around billabongs and floodplains in the top end of Australia. They are known to like eating the corms of mankurladj (water chestnuts, Eleocharis dulcis) and the seeds of modjdje (spike rushes, Eleocharis sphacelata). Kunwinjku people hear them saying “kordorrk kordorrk kordorrk” as they fly overhead. The Old People used to hunt them with djalakirradj (three pronged spears) and cook them in a ground oven, but recently this practice has stopped. The best time of the year to hunt ngalkordow for their flesh and their eggs is Kudjewk, the wet season, when they nest.
Ngalbu ngalkordow ngalka mayh ngadberre bu ngarringun bu korrokoni dja bolkkime larrk. Korroko dabborrabbolk birrirey birridanjbuni djalakkiradj birriwilkdengi birringuni. Ngalkordow karrbennan birriwern kabirrire kore kabbal dja yika karrbennan kaddum kungol. Kabirriwakburren kabirriwokdi kabirriyime kordorrk kordorrk kordorrk kabirrikordorrkme kaddum kabirriwakbun, dja nawu yika karrbennan kabbal moddje dja mankuladj kabirrimimngun.