[3] The flammulated bamboo tyrant has two subspecies, the nominate H. f. flammulatus (Berlepsch, 1901) and H. f. olivacens (Todd, 1915).

Subspecies H. f. olivacens has a more yellowish crown, back, rump, flanks, and crissum than the nominate.

[5][6][7] The nominate subspecies of the flammulated bamboo tyrant is found in eastern Peru between San Martín and Madre de Dios departments, east into far western Brazil's Acre and Rondônia states, and south and east into northern Bolivia to Beni and Cochabamba departments.

Subspecies H. f. olivacens is found along the Surutú River in the western part of Santa Cruz Department in eastern Bolivia.

At the far northern part of its range in San Martín it occurs in dry forest between about 300 and 600 m (1,000 and 2,000 ft).

It typically forages singly or in pairs and seldom joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

[5] The flammulated bamboo tyrant's breeding season has not been defined overall but is from August to November in southeastern Peru.