Its breeding range is from northeast Arabia to Turkestan, west China and Afghanistan.

Like the booted warbler, many populations of the species migrate in winter to the Indian subcontinent as far south as Sri Lanka.

The English name commemorates the Colonel William Henry Sykes who served in the British military in India.

[3] Molecular phylogeny studies in 2009 suggested a clade sister to Chloropeta and separate from Hippolais in the strict sense resulting in the removal of this species from the genus Hippolais and placement in a resurrected older genus name of Iduna.

[5] It is a small passerine found in open country with bushes and other tall vegetation.