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) [XC670226]
by Alain Malengreau from Tujereng Woodland, Gambia (call)
Western Plantain-eater (Crinifer piscator) [XC610112]
by Peter Boesman from Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria (call, song)
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.