Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela.
Amazonian southern Colombia, southern Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar) and southern Guyana to eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, northern Bolivia and north-western and north-central Brazil; also northern French Guiana and extreme north-central Brazil (north-eastern Amapá).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Drab Water Tyrant (Ochthornis littoralis) [XC258896]
by Mitch Lysinger from Sucumb\u00edos: 'La Selva Jungle Lodge', n bank R\u00edo Napo, Ecuador (call, calls)
Drab Water Tyrant (Ochthornis littoralis) [XC694083]
by JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA from Play\u00f3n Rio Orteguaza - Vereda Canelos, Colombia (song)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Genus merged with Ochthoeca by some authors, but separate generic status supported by morphological and anatomical evidence and differences in behaviour and habitat.