It is found throughout arid regions of the Arabian Peninsula from Saudi Arabia south to Yemen and east to Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and has expanded its range north to the Levant over the past few decades.

A 2020 study found significant differences in morphology and voice between all three species, so they were also split from one another by the International Ornithologists' Union in 2021.

[2][3] There are thought to be two subspecies:[3] It can be distinguished from M. orientalis and M. viridissimus by its shorter central tail feathers, the blue forehead, supercilium, and throat, as well as its broader black breast band.

[2][4] It is found throughout arid, open regions of the Middle East with scattered trees, as well as wadis, gardens, and farmland.

Agricultural expansion and irrigation has created new optimal habitat for this species, and thus its population has grown, which allowed it to colonize parts of the Levant (eastern Israel, western Jordan, and a very small portion of the Sinai Peninsula) prior to 2001.