Breeds in Asia from Ob' river and northern Mongolia east to Ussuriland and north-east China. Accidental in Britain: single birds, Shetland, October 1955 and September 1971. Finland: one, Norrskär (Mustasaari), October 1994. Egypt: one, monastery of St. Katherine, Sinai, November 1991.

Breeds extralimitally in middle latitudes of east Palearctic, mainly in dry warm continental lowlands. Prefers thickets of bushes to reedbeds, independently of presence of water.

Only limited information. 5-6 eggs are laid in a nest in a low tree

Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will take other small prey items.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km². The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as 'frequent' in at least parts of its range (Baker 1997). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

All populations migratory, moving south through Mongolia and central and eastern China to winter in foothills of Himalayas and from southern and eastern India east to southern China and Vietnam. Vagrants to west Palearctic are presumably reverse migrants and most likely to be Siberian race.