It is found in forest, scrub and cultivation across tropical southern Asia from the Himalayas, India and Bangladesh east to Indonesia.

Most resemble the Himalayan R. a. canescans, which is primarily slate grey above and below, featuring a black eye mask, and a white throat and eyebrow.

[citation needed] Local names for the bird in India include Nasoni sorai (Assamese).

They are white in colour, with a band of brown spots around the middle, closer towards the base of the egg.

The male's call is a valuable tool in detection and identification of the bird, which can often be confused with the white-browed fantail, R. aureola, where their ranges overlap.