[3][4] The Santa Marta screech owl was formally described in 2017, though a specimen collected in 1919 was thought at the time to perhaps be a "distinct form".

[3][4][5] The Santa Marta screech owl is a medium-sized member of genus Megascops, though the length and mass of the 1919 specimen were not published.

The plumage is similar to that of others of its genus, having a reddish to grayish-brown head, back, chest, and wings and a pale belly.

Almost all records are from the San Lorenzo ridge and nearby areas, which have easy access and are regularly visited by bird tour groups.

[1] The species has a restricted range, being found only in the relatively small Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.