The white-fronted falconet (Microhierax latifrons), also called the Bornean falconet, is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. 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 long and weighs , being the smallest species of falconet. It has glossy bluish-black , black and outer thighs, and a black mask. The belly and are pale yellowish-brown, while the throat, cheeks, and breast are white. The species can be told apart from other falconets by the colour of its and forehead, which is white in males and reddish-brown in females. It has no subspecies. The species inhabits open forests, forest edges, clearings with dead trees, and cultivated regions with interspersed trees, and rarely in mangrove forests. It mainly eats insects, although it has also been reported hunting birds. 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. Threats to the species include deforestation, forest fires, and the cage-bird trade. Taxonomy and systematics 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 Lawa River and Lumbidan in Borneo. The generic name Microhierax is from the Ancient Greek mikros, meaning small, and hierax, meaning hawk. The specific name latifrons is from the Latin latus, meaning wide or broad, and frons, meaning forehead. White-fronted falconet is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. The white-fronted falconet is one of five species in the falconet genus Microhierax, which is found in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Philippines. 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). These two genera are further sister to the falcons of the genus Falco. No subspecies of the white-fronted falconet are recognised. Description The white-fronted falconet is an extremely small shrike-like species of falcon, with a length of , a mass of , and a wingspan of . It is similar to