It is found in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

The fan-tailed cuckoo has a slate-grey head, back and wings, rufous underparts and barred black and white tail.

The Australian range is from Cape York in Queensland following the coast south to Shark Bay in Western Australia.

In South Australia the range is along the coast except in the south-east corner around Mount Gambier and the Eyre Peninsula.

They only lay one mauve white with red and/or brown spotted egg in the nest of other birds (see brood parasitism) like fairywrens or thornbills.