The ngalkordow or brolga is a ground dwelling waterbird that is found throughout the western Arnhem Land region.
The area is inhabited by Kunwinjku speaking Aboriginal people. The brolgas are painted in the 'x-ray' style, with the internal organs showing and the rest of their bodies are covered with rarrk or cross-hatching.
Brolgas are a favourite food source for Aboriginal people and the best time of the year to hunt ngalkordow for their flesh and their eggs is kudjewk, the wet season, when they nest. The grass is modje, which grows on the wetlands and the seeds of which are eaten by birds and animals.
