The species is restricted to grassy moist highlands, principally in the Western Ghats of southern India mainly south of Karnataka but with some records from Pune, Lonavla and Nasik. A specimen was collected by S. A. Hussain at Point Calimere that suggests that the bird may be involved in local movements or migrations possibly into Sri Lanka. Suggestions that it may occur in Sri Lanka are as yet not well supported, there is an old specimen (collected by H. Cumming who has been considered unreliable and doubtfully identified by Colonel Legge) and two unconfirmed sight records from Gammaduwa, Matale Hills and Waitalawa, Rangala Hills. The species has not been reported from the Biligirirangan Hills.