Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.
Guatemala and Belize to Colombia, then south to western Ecuador, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia, and east to Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana and north-central Brazil (Roraima); eastern Brazil (Serra Sincorá in Bahia).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) [XC30245]
by Daniel Lane from El 18, Valle del Cauca, Colombia (song)
Brown Violetear (Colibri delphinae) [XC245141]
by Joe Klaiber from Bosque La Meseta, Vereda San Jos\u00e9 de Suaita, Suaita, Santander, Colombia (song)
Nest
A small cup composed of plant down located on a twig 1 - 3 m above the ground.
Subspecies
Proposed subspecies greenwalti of Bahia (eastern Brazil), claimed to differ very subtly in coloration, does not appear sufficiently distinct to merit recognition.