South-eastern Brazil (southern Bahia south to southern Mato Grosso do Sul and north-eastern Rio Grande do Sul), eastern Paraguay and extreme north-eastern Argentina (northern Misiones).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Black-capped Foliage-gleaner (Philydor atricapillus) [XC347620]
by Odirlei Vieira da Fonseca from Rio Preto, Itanha\u00e9m, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil (alarm call)
Black-capped Foliage-gleaner (Philydor atricapillus) [XC344419]
by Robson Silva e Silva from Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra, Brazil (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Evidently forms a superspecies with Alagoas Foliage-gleaner (Philydor novaesi). Named form Philydor hylobius, previously believed by some to be an isolated population of present species, in fact represents the juvenile plumage of White-throated Foliage-gleaner (Syndactyla roraimae). Species name invariable, so, in contrast to the cases of several other taxa currently recognized within Philydor, must not be made to agree with neuter gender of genus.