The Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl occurs in gray and reddish-brown color morphs and has variable ear tufts. It favors forest interiors.
There are gray and reddish-brown morphs. It has a brown belly, a buff nuchal collar, and ear tufts that vary in length.
It favors forest interiors and is less often seen around lodges, towns, and agricultural fields.
In three specimens from Ecuador, recorded stomach contents included arachnid and insect fragments and grasshoppers.
It is active at night or twilight and may begin calling relatively early in the evening.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.