[3] The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) treats the Colima pygmy owl as monotypic.

Male specimens weigh 43 to 48 g (1.5 to 1.7 oz) and females are noted as heavier without quantification.

The face has dull white "eyebrows" and the nape has a pair of dark "eye spots".

The Colima pygmy owl is found in western Mexico from central Sonora south to Oaxaca, ranging from sea level up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in elevation.

[6] The Colima pygmy owl is primarily nocturnal though it is also active in daytime.