The Andean Pygmy Owl is a small owl. A Bogotá bird guide notes that it may also be seen by day; it has brown plumage with bars and spots and perches in shaded trees.
Its brown plumage has bars and spots, and it has a rounded facial disk.
It is mainly active at night or around twilight, though the guide also reports it often alert by day. It has been recorded perching on shaded branches at mid-tree height.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.