The Red-necked Nightjar is often over looked as they rest during the day and are active during twilight hours. Their presence may only be given away by their repetitive call, or they can sometimes be seen lying on quiet lanes.

The cryptic plumage makes excellent use of shades of browns, grey, rust and black. The rufous collar is where it takes its common name. There are white marks on the wings near to the tips and also on the outer edges of the tail which can be seen in flight.

Their flight is silent, and purposeful as it is on the wing that they feed on moths, beetles and flies. The favoured habitat is open sandy heaths with low shrubbery. They may be seen flying on the edges or within clearings of pine and oak woodlands. In the daytime they will sit on the ground, protected by their impressive camouflage. They make no nest for the eggs, again simply sitting on the ground.

They breed in both Iberia and north Africa. The night time migration into Iberia starts in mid April peaking in May, making the return journey around October.

The call is a very repetitive ktoc..ktok..ktok and this can be a way of differentiating it from the very similar European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), whose call is a long chrrrrrrr.

Dangers to these birds are death on roads as they may not move out of the way and also the eggs being preyed upon, especially by Ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus).

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