It is found in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Adult males of the nominate subspecies M. l. leucophrys have the eponymous white forehead and supercilium.

Their throat and underparts are mostly white with some blackish gray on the sides and light olive-gray flanks.

Males of M. l. erythrophrys have a wider white forehead band and supercilium and a less well-defined black throat than the nominate.

The subspecies are found thus:[4][6][7][9][10][excessive citations] The white-browed antbird uses various habitats in different parts of its range.

Subspecies M. l. angustirostris is often found in similar habitat but about equally on the edges and in overgrown clearings of terra firme forest.

A relatively small part of the angustirostris population in southern Venezuela also occurs on shrubby and stunted woodlands on white-sand soils bordering savanna.

[4][7][8][9][10][excessive citations] The white-browed antbird's breeding season has not been defined but in Peru it includes May.

The species' calls include a short whistle that varies geographically from clear to nasal or burry.

Populations confined to lower Andean slopes and inter-Andean valleys potentially at greatest risk; not only are their ranges more restricted, but foothill forest throughout Andes is being cleared for agriculture and human settlement at alarming rates.