Described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1879, it is endemic to Borneo, where it is found in Sarawak, Sabah, and extreme northeastern Kalimantan.

An extremely small falcon, it is only 14–17 cm (5.5–6.7 in) long and weighs 35–65 g (1.2–2.3 oz), being the smallest species of falconet.

The species can be told apart from other falconets by the colour of its crown and forehead, which is white in males and reddish-brown in females.

The breeding season lasts from March to either June or April, with clutches of two eggs being laid in old barbet or woodpecker nest holes.

It is classified as being near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is also listed on Appendix II of CITES.

The white-fronted falconet was first described as Microhierax latifrons by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1879 on the basis of specimens from the Lawas River and Lumbidan in Borneo.

[6] A 2004 study of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA by Carole Griffiths and colleagues found that within the family Falconidae, the falconets were mostly closely related to the pygmy falcons (Polihierax).

The throat, cheeks, and breast are white, changing to pale yellowish-brown on the belly and vent.

[1] The species mainly feeds on insects such as dragonflies, bees, and cicadas,[10] but has also been reported chasing birds.

[8] The white-fronted falconet is classified as being near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List, due to its small range, a moderately small population that is declining, and habitat loss within its range.

Extensive deforestation in lowlands throughout its range, along with forest fires, is a threat, although the presence of the species in areas of secondary growth shows a degree of resistance may imply that it is not immediately threatened.