A small owl of northern Eurasian coniferous forests. It hunts small birds and mammals around dusk and before sunrise.
It has a round, flat-topped head and yellow eyes with a mask-like face. Its grey-brown back has white spots, and the belly has brown streaks.
It hunts small mammals and birds around dusk and before sunrise. It may store prey in holes in trees.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.