The jungle nightjar or grey nightjar is a kind of nightjar that is commonly seen in most parts of India. These birds are grey in colour. The top of their head shows a peculiar kind of black streaks. The wings and tails are long and the bird as a whole is around 20 cm in length. Although the bill is usually small, the bird’s mouth is very wide when open. They produce a series of thacoo or chuck notes as their call. The male birds can be identified by their exclusive white throat patch.
These birds are generally seen near the edges of forests. They make their nests on the ground and they are nothing more than a simple patch. Jungle nightjars become active at dusk and hunt flying insects for foods. They roost on tree branches or ground. But it is nearly impossible to spot them due to their colour and shades that blend with the surroundings.