Southern Mexico east of Isthmus of Tehuantepec (eastern Veracruz and eastern Oaxaca east to Yucatán Peninsula) south to western Panama (Chiriquí, Veraguas).
 
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Eye-ringed Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus brevirostris) [XC274069]
by Guillermo Funes from La Selva biological station, Heredia, Costa Rica (call)
Eye-ringed Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus brevirostris) [XC332596]
by Scott Olmstead from Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico (call)
Subspecies
Rhynchocyclus brevirostris (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Eye-ringed Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus brevirostris) and Pacific Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus pacificus) following SACC (2005).
Formerly considered conspecific with Pacific Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus pacificus).
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
pallidus Binford, 1965 - Pacific slope of Oaxaca (Putla and Minitán east to Pluma Hidalgo), probably also in Guerrero, in southern Mexico.
brevirostris (Cabanis, 1847) - Southern Mexico east of Isthmus of Tehuantepec (eastern Veracruz and eastern Oaxaca east to Yucatán Peninsula) south to western Panama (Chiriquí, Veraguas).
hellmayri Griscom, 1932 - Mountains of eastern Panama and extreme north-western Colombia (Cerro Tacarcuna, in north-western Chocó).