This fairy-bluebird is found in forests across tropical southern Asia, Indochina and the Greater Sundas.

Both species are considered as sacred to the Tagalog people as they are perceived as tigmamanukan omens.

The male has glossy, iridescent blue upperparts, and black underparts and flight feathers.

The iris is crimson and eyelids pinkish; the bill, legs and claws are black, and mouth a flesh- colour.

There are several subspecies, including I. cyanea malayensis from the Malay Peninsula, where the male differs in having the undertail coverts longer, nearly reaching to the tip of the tail.

The Asian fairy bluebird is found in Sri Lanka and the western coast of India from Travancore up to the latitude of Shivamogga, Belgaum and Sawantwadi; Sikkim and the lower ranges of the Himalayas to Dibrugarh in Assam; the Khasi Hills; Cachar; Manipur; Bangladesh; Arrakan; Bago and Taninthayi Division in Burma; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In southeast Asia it occurs throughout most of Indochina (including Peninsular Malaysia), Sumatra, Borneo, Java and on smaller nearby islands.