This nocturnal owl has mottled brown plumage and ear tufts. It uses tree holes and other cavities for nesting and catches insects and small animals.
It has reddish-brown eyes and prominent ear tufts when raised. The pale grey facial disc has a dark border, and the plumage is mottled brown and pale buff.
It is mainly nocturnal and uses woodland and mature shrubland. Hong Kong records include beetles, small mammals, and moths as food, and tree holes among its nest sites.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.