[3][5][6] BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World treats it as a separate species.

The brown morph has a light brown facial disc with a thin dark border, indistinct pale brows over yellow eyes, and short dark "ear" tufts.

[7] The vermiculated screech-owl is found from far southern Nicaragua through the Caribbean side of Costa Rica into western Panama.

It nests in a natural tree cavity or abandoned woodpecker hole, apparently in March.

The vermiculated screech owl's primary song is a "very fast, long, toad-like trill".