This barn owl is reported from Buru and the Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia. It sometimes hides in limestone caves by day, and much of its ecology remains little known.
The facial disc is pale rufous-brown, with a brown wash around the eyes extending to the base of the yellowish-cream bill. The eyes are blackish brown. Grey-brown upperparts and wings have white spots, while the whitish underparts have brown spots.
Its behavior and diet have barely been studied. It sometimes hides in limestone caves during the day, and a primary-forest habitat is presumed rather than confirmed.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.