South-western Ecuador (central Manabí, from northern side of Bahía de Caráquez, south to El Oro and western Loja) and north-western Peru (southern on Pacific slope to Ancash and to northern Lima).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Baird's Flycatcher (Myiodynastes bairdii) [XC22485]
by Andrew Spencer from Jorupe reserve, east of Macar\u00e1, Loja, Ecuador (dawn song)
Baird's Flycatcher (Myiodynastes bairdii) [XC233465]
by Leonardo Ord\u00f3\u00f1ez-Delgado from Reserva Natural La Ceiba (Zapotillo - Loja) Malvas, Ecuador (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Affinities of genus uncertain. For long hypothesized as being closest to Conopias, largely on basis of similar hole-nesting tendencies. Genus probably monophyletic, although this only weakly supported by recent analyses of molecular-sequence data (likely due to inappropriate markers for the apparently long branches and deep level of divergence within genus). Findings from separate analyses of plumage/syringeal morphology and molecular data were not completely congruent, but evidence indicates that present species is basal to two main clades, one containing Golden-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes hemichrysus) and Golden-crowned Flycatcher (Myiodynastes chrysocephalus) and the other Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiventris) and Northern Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus).