This owl was recorded in humid forest at 1,800–2,500 m on the San Lorenzo ridge of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia.
Its yellow eyes are edged by a narrow dark rim. The white belly has brown bars, and the legs are covered in golden-buff feathers.
The original description recorded a short, 2–3-second trill on the San Lorenzo ridge and reported that the owl was fairly common at that study site.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.