Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.
Guatemala and Belize to Colombia, then south to western Ecuador, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia, and east to Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana and north-central Brazil (Roraima); eastern Brazil (Serra Sincorá in Bahia).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) [XC822932]
by rudy gelis from Mindo (near San Carlos), Cant\u00f3n San Miguel de Los Bancos, Pichincha, Ecuador (song)
Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) [XC260467]
by Mitch Lysinger from Napo: Cascada San Rafael ('Coca Falls'), Ecuador (song)
Nest
A small cup composed of plant down located on a twig 1 - 3 m above the ground.
Subspecies
Proposed subspecies greenwalti of Bahia (eastern Brazil), claimed to differ very subtly in coloration, does not appear sufficiently distinct to merit recognition.