It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it was a distinct species.

EBird describes the bird as "A rare medium-sized owl of lowland and foothill forest on Tablas, Romblon, and Sibuyan islands.

Probably the only owl in its range except for Mantanani scops-owl, but Romblon boobook is reddish rather than gray and lacks the black line around the face.

[5] Two subspecies are recognized: This species ecology has yet to be properly studied but it is pressumed to have a typical boobook diet of insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and possibly even birds.

[5] The IUCN Red List classifies this bird as an endangered species with population estimates of 250 to 999 mature individuals.