The Tufted Tit-tyrant is distributed from southern Colombia, through Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia into western and central Argentina and in central and southern Chile. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It is found in a variety of habitats and I saw it at forest edges, in gardens and in scrub.

They are very active wee birds and it was quite difficult to get decent photos of them. They are fairly unmistakable with a thin black crest curling forwards, streaked underparts and a pale yellow eye.