Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
Northern Honduras south, locally, to north-western and central-western Colombia and extreme north-western Ecuador (Esmeraldas); apparently absent from south-western Colombia.
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Yellow-eared Toucanet (Selenidera) [XC271581]
by Peter Boesman from Cerro Azul area, Panama (call)
Yellow-eared Toucanet (Selenidera spectabilis) [XC239472]
by Peter Boesman from La Ceiba Camp, Saslaya NP, BOSAWAS, Nicaragua (song)
Subspecies
Distinct within genus. Although not very closely related to Guianan Toucanet (Selenidera piperivora), both have sometimes been thought to be part of probable superspecies formed by Tawny-tufted Toucanet (Selenidera nattereri), Red-billed Toucanet (Selenidera reinwardtii), Gould's Toucanet (Selenidera gouldii) and Spot-billed Toucanet (Selenidera maculirostris), but they differ from those four in voice and displays.