Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania [United Republic of], Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Southern Somalia, south-eastern Kenya, north-eastern and eastern Tanzania (including Zanzibar, also scattered records farther west), southern Zambia, parts of north, eastern and south-eastern Zimbabwe, and much of Malawi and southern Mozambique south to north-eastern South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) and eastern Swaziland; disjunct population in extreme south-eastern DRCongo and adjacent north-western Zambia.
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Eastern Nicator (Nicator gularis) [XC365382]
by Peter Boesman from Zomba Botanic Gardens area, Zomba, Southern Region, Malawi (song)
Eastern Nicator (Nicator gularis) [XC518588]
by Daniel Danckwerts from Mkhuze Game Reserve, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa (call, song, two males)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Systematic position of genus long a subject of debate. Further investigation is required. Forms a superspecies with Western Nicator (Nicator chloris), and often considered conspecific. Populations of Zambesi Valley (from Zambia east to central Mozambique) described as subspecies phyllophilus on basis of paler browner forecrown, more greyish-yellow hindcrown and neck and brighter upperside, but differences from populations in rest of range slight, and considered insufficient to warrant naming of geographical subspecies.