It is found in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China, at altitudes between about 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft).

The robin accentor was described by the English entomologist and ornithologist Frederic Moore in 1854 from a specimen collected in Nepal.

[3] The robin accentor is now placed in the genus Prunella that was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1816.

[7] The robin accentor is native to mountainous regions of Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China, and is also present in Afghanistan, typically at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,500 m (9,800 and 18,000 ft).

In the winter it may move to slightly lower elevations and is often found in stony areas close to human habitations.