It appears to be a lowland forest species but one specimen was taken at 1,000 m and one bird believed to be this species was heard at 2,000 m (Gilliard and LeCroy 1967). recent records have been in oil palm plantations , so it may tolerate degraded forest. A sighting in 2015 was made in an oil palm plantation (e.g. Strycker 2015) where it is probably attracted by the relatively high numbers of rats. Its tolerance of oil palm and degraded forest habitats is otherwise unknown, but it is likely that, like other Tyto owls, it is still dependent on remnant old hollow-bearing trees for nesting.

Tyto aurantia is endemic to the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. It has long been known from only a very few specimens and three field sightings (Gilliard and LeCroy 1967, Coates 1985, K. D. Bishop in litt. 1987). There have been regular sightings of single birds in and around oil palm plantations at Walindi since 2013 when a dead bird was found (e.g. Strycker 2015). The call is still unknown, as is its relative status in old-growth forest, logged  forest, oil palm plantations with forest remnants and oil palm with no forest. Tyto owls have become prehistorically extinct through unknown causes on the adjacent islands of Mussau and New Ireland (Gilliard and LeCroy 1967).

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Identify and effectively protect a network of reserves, including some containing large areas of unlogged lowland forest and some large community based conservation areas. Continue to monitor trends in forest loss. Research its tolerance of degraded forest, oil palm plantations without remnant forest, and oil palm plantations with remnants. Research the risks and benefits of establishing a network of nest-boxes in and near oil palm plantations.