This species can be found in both dry and moist forest and fringe areas (C. Srinivaulu pers. obs. 2016). In Malaysia and Thailand it appears to be associated with intact lowland tropical moist forest. Roosts include caves, unused tunnels, old and ruined buildings, old temples, tree hollows. Its flight is slow and low and feeds on lepidopterans, coleopterans, dipterans, hymenopterans (Bates and Harrison 1997). In cave systems in Karnataka, India this species was observed to cohabit with R. beddomei (Bhargavi Srinivasulu and Chelmala Srinivasulu, pers. obs. 2017).

This species is very widespread in South Asia and Southeast Asia. In South Asia the species is known from Afghanistan (Faryab, Kabul, Nangarhar, Parwan and Zabol provinces) (Bates and Harrison 1997, Csorba et al. 2003, Benda and Gaisler 2015), Bangladesh (Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajsahi divisions), India (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), Nepal (Central and Eastern Nepal) and Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab) (Roberts 1997, Nadeem et al. 2013, Shahbaz et al. 2014). In Southeast Asia, it has been recorded from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Peninsular Malaysia, and Indonesia - Sumatra (Simmons 2005, Dejtaradol 2009). In South Asia, it has been recorded from wide range of elevations.

There are no direct conservation measures in place in South Asia. It is reported from Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, Karnala Bird Sanctuary in Maharashtra, Satpura National Park in Madhya Pradesh (Molur et al. 2002), and Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana (C. Srinivasulu, pers. obs.). In Southeast Asia it occurs in a number of protected areas.