This species occurs patchily through western Africa (Senegal) and central Africa, entering Ethiopia along the Blue Nile. It is absent from central African forests and appears again in northern Angola and Zambia. In southern Africa, it is highly restricted to Zimbabwe, especially along the Zambezi River, and Botswana's Okavango Delta. It is an uncommon resident in Namibia: an estimated four pairs were recorded in the last 50 km of the Okavango River and no more than 10 pairs in the Zambezi region in the riverine woodland along the Chobe and Zambezi rivers.