This nocturnal owl lives in open country in eastern Australia. Its white heart-shaped face and sandy plumage with black spots help identify it. At night it searches for small animals on the ground.
The facial disc is white and heart-shaped. The upperparts are sandy orange and light grey with black spots; the underparts are white to cream.
It uses open country such as farms, heath, and lightly wooded forest. By day it hides in hollow logs, caves, or concealed branches, then hunts small mammals and birds on the ground at night.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.