The Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl occurs in brown and rufous morphs. It waits for prey in the canopy and at edges of wet mountain forest and hunts mainly by day.
It is about 15 cm long and occurs in brown and rufous morphs. A black eyespot edged in white marks the hindneck; the belly is white with black streaks, the brows and lores are white, and the feet, bill and eyes are yellow.
It uses upland forest canopies and edges of wet forest, as well as nearby semi-open areas. It waits on a perch and pounces on prey, mainly birds but also insects, lizards and other small vertebrates. It is mostly diurnal and nests in tree cavities.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.