China (mainland) (B), India, Laos, Mongolia (B), Myanmar, Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Thailand, Vietnam.
Vagrant to Nepal.
Breeds eastern Russia (from Krasnoyarsk east through Transbaikalia to Khabarovsk region) and adjacent northern Mongolia, and in north-east, central and southern parts of China (south to eastern Qinghai, south-western Gansu, Sichuan and Guangxi). Non-breeding southern and south-eastern Asia.
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Chinese Bush Warbler (Locustella tacsanowskia) [XC323549]
by Espen Quinto-Ashman from , Mongolia (song)
Chinese Bush Warbler (Locustella tacsanowskia) [XC296856]
by Munkhnast Dalannast from , Russian Federation (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
In China, birds from eastern Qinghai have been described as subspecies netrix and those from Guangxi as chui. However, this species is variable in colour tones, and naming of geographical subspecies considered unwarranted.