In Brazil it occurs north of the Amazon as far east as the Rio Negro and south of the Amazon as far east as Pará and Alagoas states and south to eastern Mato Grosso do Sul and western São Paulo states.

[5] The black-fronted nunbird inhabits a variety of landscapes, but favors trees and bamboo along the margins of rivers and lakes.

[5] The black-fronted nunbird takes most of its prey in flight, though it also picks it from the ground and foliage up to about 6 m (20 ft) above it.

It follows troops of primates and army ant swarms to capture prey dislodged by them, and sometimes also joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

[5] The black-fronted nunbird's breeding season varies geographically but generally spans from April to October.

The black-fronted nunbird's song is " a rapid series of melodious upslurred 'clerry' or 'curry' whistles, broken by [an] occasional downslurred 'turra turra' trill".