Turdus celaenops is endemic to Japan. The majority of the population is resident on the Izu Islands between Oshima and Aogashima, but a few birds move to adjacent parts of Honshu and the Shikoku Islands during winter. There are also small numbers on the islands of Yaku-shima and Tokara in the northern Nansei Shoto Islands. Given that the total area of the Izu Islands is only c.300 km^2, it is unlikely that the population ever exceeded more than a few thousands of individuals and is now declining rapidly.