Pacific slope in extreme eastern Panama (south-eastern Darién southern and east of R Chepo and R Chucunaque) and western Colombia (eastern along northern base of Andes to Magdalena Valley in Antioquia, and in Pacific lowlands) south to north-western Ecuador (northern Esmeraldas).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Lemon-spectacled Tanager (Chlorothraupis olivacea) [XC148092]
by Charlie Vogt from Choc\u00f3, Bah\u00eda Solano, PNN Ensenada de Utr\u00eda, al norte de Bah\u00eda Solano, Colombia (song)
Lemon-spectacled Tanager (Chlorothraupis olivacea) [XC262629]
by Olaf Jahn from Esmeraldas: Awacachi Biological Corridor, R\u00edo Bogot\u00e1 area, Ecuador (dawn song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Molecular-genetic evidence indicates that this genus may form a monophyletic group with Piranga and Habia, and that all three are more closely related to cardinals (Cardinalidae) than to true tanagers.