The Crested Pigeon is one of several species which has successfully made the transition from a common inland bird to a common urban bird. Crested Pigeons were once restricted to arid and semi-arid zones of inland Australia, with only vagrants recorded closer to the coast. Adelaide was the first major city that they colonised, and later, in quick succession they were recorded in both Brisbane and Perth, on opposite sides of the continent. Now they are common in Sydney and increasingly so in Canberra and Melbourne.