Little is known of the ecology of the Sulawesi masked owl. It hunts at night in secondary forest, agricultural land, grassland and open country. Examination of pellets regurgitated by this owl in a cave showed that the diet includes rats and shrews.[2][4] This owl is commonly encountered in cultivated areas and scrubland on early morning visits to the Gunung Ambang Nature Reserve in the north of Sulawesi.[5]