Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Côte dIvoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.
Southern Senegambia, Sierra Leone and coastal Liberia east to Central African Republic (in northern almost reaching Sudan border); also disjunctly in Congo and Zaire along R Congo south of Stanley Pool.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) [XC862005]
by Alain Malengreau from Kataba1 (near Kafountine), Bignona, Ziguinchor Region, Senegal (call)
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) [XC371184]
by \u00c9tienne Leroy from Le Firdou, Kolda, Casamance, Senegal (call)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Eastern Plantain-eater (Crinifer zonurus), with which has been considered conspecific. Formerly listed as Crinifer africanus, on grounds that Boddaert's name was based on illustration of bird unidentifiable as present species.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet