The species occurs in forest to c.650 m (Beehler et al. 1986, Coates 1985) but is usually found in primary lowland flat forest (K.D. Bishop in litt. 1999).

This species occurs across New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), but may be absent from some large areas such as the Sepik-Ramu and north-eastern regions (Coates 1985, Beehler et al. 1986). Although there are only three published records since 1990 (de Silva Garza 1993), it is frequently seen in suitable lowland forest; for example, several individuals are seen a week at Lakekamu (B. Beehler in litt. 2000). It appears to occur patchily, usually at very low population densities (Coates 1985, I. Burrows in litt. 1994), but at one site population density was estimated to be one bird per 10 ha (Bell 1982).