Ponderous ... ?

My 'first cab off the rank' bird book says that the Jabiru labours to get airborne and its flight is ponderous. That wasn't entirely my impression today, watching this bird at North Creek in Ballina. Maybe it's take-off was laboured, but once airborne it was graceful in flight. 

The Jabiru, or Black-necked Stork, is Australia's only stork. A large bird, it is up to 1.5 m high with a wingspan of over 2 m. It is more common in northern Australia and rarely seen in the south. It's unusual enough here that the keen local bird watchers have been out in force lately, watching this pair. 

The name 'Black-necked' can be misleading. In good light, its neck and head are an iridescent deep blue-green colour. Just a little of this is visible on the right-hand bird in my extra.

And the name 'Jabiru' is also confusing. It is the scientific name of an American stork, found from the southern parts of the US to Argentina.