There are few stretches of the Australian coastline where the Crested Tern cannot be seen — it has been known as both the Bass Straits Tern and the Torres Straits Tern! They breed in colonies on small offshore islands where their nests are so densely packed together that adjacent owners can touch each other’s bills. Though the Crested Tern is usually a strictly coastal species, there are occasional records in the arid interior of Australia, where birds were possibly blown by passing tropical cyclones!