It ranges from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and north to China and Russia.

In northern India, they can be locally common during the breeding season with densities estimated at a calling bird for every 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi).

[3] They usually feed on the upper canopy, gleaning insects, sometimes making aerial sallies for flying termites or rarely even by hovering lower near the ground.

The nominate form is found in much of continental Asia, while concretus S. Müller, 1845 which is smaller and darker is known from the Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra and Borneo.

[3] The host species include Lanius cristatus in the Amur region, black drongo and Pica cyanea in China.

Other hosts that have been recorded include black-headed oriole,[7] streaked spiderhunter, Eurylaimus ochromalus and Dicrurus paradiseus.

[3][8] In China, the call is variously interpreted as "why not go home" (不如歸去), "single lonely" (光棍好苦), "single happy" (光棍好過), "mother-in-law beats me" (家婆打我), "catfish congee" (滑哥煲粥), "myna of pea" (豌豆八哥), "pea and maize corn" (豌豆包谷), "go to cut wheat" (快快割麥), "Grandpa, Grandma, cut wheat, transplant rice" (阿公阿婆，割麦插禾).

[citation needed] The Soliga people use the interpretation "ke:ta satto, makka ketto " which translate to "Ketha (a person's name) died, his sons cried".

[9] In Vietnamese, the call is interpreted as "bắt cô trói cột" (literally meaning: "take a woman and tie her to a post") stemming from a legend possibly originating from the Mảng ethnic group.