Distribution

Black-faced Antthrush is widespread throughout the Neotropics. It occurs on the Atlantic slope from southern Mexico (north to ca 18.5º N latitude) south through Central America into northwestern South America and thence through much northern Amazonia and the Guianan Shield (including Trinidad). Black-faced Antthrush is absent, however, from a vast swath of apparently suitable habitat west of the Río Negro and north of the Amazon, creating a curious gap in its range.

Black-faced Antthrush is resident throughout its range. There is no evidence of seasonal or elevational movements.

No records.

Black-faced Antthrush occupies primary forest and mature secondary forests (Loiselle and Blake 1992) that are well shaded and have some ground cover. In the Amazon, it is "equally abundant in both river-edge and transitional forest, but rare in terra firme forest" (Marra and Remsen 1997). Where the two species co-occur in the Amazon basin, Black-faced Antthrush tends to occupy floodplain or second growth forests whereas Rufous-capped Antthrush (Formicarius colma) tends to occupy terra firma forests or hillier areas (Willis 1985). In some regions Black-faced Antthrush occupies coffee plantations (Greenberg et al. 1997) and bamboo forests (Guilherme and Santos 2009).

There is no evidence that the geographic range of Black-faced Antthrush has expanded or contracted.

No fossil specimens have been unearthed.