A screech-owl with dark, grey, and rufous colour morphs; every morph has a dark crown. It inhabits forests in south-eastern Brazil and nearby regions.
It occurs in dark, grey, and rufous morphs, all with a dark to blackish crown. Fine vermiculation covers the plumage, and the upperparts are darker than the underparts.
It is nocturnal and spends the day in dense foliage or tree cavities. The account says it also breeds in hollow trees.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.