Southern Colombia (Caquetá), north-eastern Ecuador (Napo, Sucumbios), eastern Peru (Loreto south to Madre de Dios), south-western Amazonian Brazil (east to R Purus drainage) and north-western Bolivia (Pando, northern La Paz, Beni).
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Plumbeous Antbird (Myrmelastes hyperythrus) [XC202105]
by Ottavio Janni from Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, Loreto, Peru (song)
Plumbeous Antbird (Myrmelastes hyperythrus) [XC556425]
by Iv\u00e1n Lau from Ramal do Boliviano, Brazil (canto)
Subspecies
Genus appears not to represent a monophyletic grouping, but traditional arrangement maintained pending further phylogenetic study. Along with Goeldi's Antbird (Akletos goeldii), White-shouldered Antbird (Akletos melanoceps), Sooty Antbird (Hafferia fortis) and Blue-lored Antbird (Hafferia immaculata) often considered to form a species group on basis of large size, but more work needed in order to confirm a close relationship.