Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela.
Eastern Ecuador and south-eastern Colombia east to southern Venezuela and the Guianas and south to north-eastern Peru and northern Brazil (north of Amazon).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
White-chested Puffbird (Malacoptila fusca) [XC126042]
by Daniel Lane from Almeirim\/Par\u00e1, Brazil (song)
White-chested Puffbird (Malacoptila fusca) [XC394440]
by GABRIEL LEITE from BDFFP, Amazonas state, Brazil (song)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Semicollared Puffbird (Malacoptila semicincta). Birds from southern Venezuela sometimes separated as subspecies venezuelae, but appear indistinguishable from other populations.