A small owl with ear tufts, a black facial border, yellow eyes, prominent black streaking on pale underside, and intricately patterned upperparts with conspicuous white wing markings. Occurs in gray and rufous forms. Adult’s crown is streaked; juvenile’s is barred. Inhabits forest and plantations within lowlands and foothills. On some islands, overlaps with Wallace’s and Flores Scops-Owls. There, smaller Moluccan is best separated by voice from Wallace’s, but can be distinguished from Flores Scops-Owl by dark crown, dark bill, and bold streaking on the underside. Call is a distinctive frog-like croak.