Western Ecuador (Manabí) south through western Peru to northern Chile; also east of Andes in extreme south-eastern Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe) and Marañón drainage of Peru.
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum) [XC257755]
by Mitch Lysinger from Loja: 2 km E of Macar\u00e1, Ecuador (call, agitated calls)
Pacific Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium peruanum) [XC512766]
by Edison Oca\u00f1a from Manglares Churute NR, Guayas, Ecuador (song)
Subspecies
Considered to form superspecies with Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum), Tucuman Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium tucumanum) and Austral Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium nana). Recently separated from Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) based on bioacoustical analysis and DNA evidence. Name peruanum is applicable to birds of Amazonian slope; scientific description of form from Pacific slope currently in preparation.