Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
Northern Honduras south, locally, to north-western and central-western Colombia and extreme north-western Ecuador (Esmeraldas); apparently absent from south-western Colombia.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Yellow-eared Toucanet (Selenidera spectabilis) [XC274644]
by Jorge Gabriel Campos from Las Heliconias Lodge, Alajuela, Costa Rica (song)
Yellow-eared Toucanet (Selenidera) [XC127815]
by Andrew Spencer from Cerro Pirre, northwestern slope middle camp, Darien, Panama (song)
Subspecies
Distinct within genus. Although not very closely related to Guianan Toucanet (Selenidera piperivora), both have sometimes been thought to be part of probable superspecies formed by Tawny-tufted Toucanet (Selenidera nattereri), Red-billed Toucanet (Selenidera reinwardtii), Gould's Toucanet (Selenidera gouldii) and Spot-billed Toucanet (Selenidera maculirostris), but they differ from those four in voice and displays.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet