A fairly small owl of lowland and foothill forest. Dark brown on the back with barred wing feathers, grayish underparts, a darker chest with black markings, a pale gray facial disk bordered with a black line, and pale ear tufts forming a V. Occurs together with Giant and Mindanao Scops-Owls, but Everett’s is much smaller than Giant and slightly larger and paler than Mindanao, with longer ear tufts. Voice includes a descending series ending in a growl, “oowok! oowok! oowok! grrrr.”