The Ashy Minivet breeds in East Asia and winters in Southeast Asia and nearby regions. In Hong Kong, spring passage is recorded more often than autumn passage.
It is 18–21 cm long. The male has a black mask widening over the rear of the face, nape, and hind crown, set against a white forehead; the outer tail feathers are edged white. The female is gray above, with black confined to the lores and a band above the bill. Juveniles resemble females, with pale edges on wing feathers and pale gray bars on the chest sides and flanks.
In Hong Kong, it passes through forests, tree-lined villages, and parks during spring and autumn migration. Most spring records fall from the last week of March to the second week of April; autumn passage runs from mid-September to mid-November. A local record involved birds feeding on caterpillars on leaves.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.