First discovered in northern San Martín department, Peru, in 1976 by O'Neill and Graves (1977), the Long-whiskered Owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) has been an enigma to Neotropical ornithologists. Before 2007, it had only been encountered twice more, and only as mist net captures. Finally, in the past decade, the species has been found with regularity in the field, allowing us to gain knowledge of its life history. Here, we provide information on the known distribution, natural history, additional specimen data, and conservation status of this enigmatic bird.