Afghanistan (B) (NB), Bangladesh (B), Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China (mainland), Côte dIvoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, India (B), Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (B), Nepal (B), Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan (B), Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka (B), Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam (B).
Vagrant to Cape Verde, Somalia.
Introduced to Austria (E) (B) (NB), Bahrain (B), Belgium (B), Cuba, Germany (B), Hong Kong (China) (B), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B) (NB), Iraq (B) (NB), Israel (B), Italy (B), Japan (B), Jordan (B) (NB), Kenya (B), Kuwait (B), Lebanon (B), Macao (China) (B), Maldives (B), Mauritius (B), Netherlands Antilles (B), Oman (B), Portugal (B), Puerto Rico, Qatar (B), Saudi Arabia (B), Singapore (B), Slovenia (B), South Africa (B), Spain (B), Turkey (B), United Arab Emirates (B), United Kingdom (B) (NB), USA (B), Venezuela (B), Yemen (B).
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Subspecies
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
krameri (Scopoli, 1769) - Southern Mauritania, Senegal and Guinea east to western Uganda and southern Sudan.
parvirostris (Souancé, 1856) - Central-eastern Sudan through Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti to north-western Somalia.
borealis (Neumann, 1915) - North-western Pakistan east through northern India, Nepal and central Myanmar to south-eastern China (Guangdong); reportedly once in Indochina.
manillensis (Bechstein, 1800) - Peninsular India south of 20° north, and Sri Lanka.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7