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) [XC755774]
by Lars Lachmann from Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya (song)
Eastern Nicator (Nicator gularis) [XC398159]
by Peter Boesman from Mutulanganga area, Southern province, Zambia (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Systematic position of genus long a subject of debate. Further investigation is required. Forms a superspecies with Yellow-spotted 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.