The jungle nightjar is a species of nightjar found in the Indian Subcontinent. It is found mainly on the edge of forests where it is seen or heard at dusk. The taxonomy of this and related nightjars is complex and a range of treatments have been followed that cover this and several other nightjars in the Asian region. It was formerly called the grey nightjar or Indian jungle nightjar and sometimes included the East Asian grey nightjar as a subspecies.
Region
Indian Subcontinent
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across peninsular and central India and into Sri Lanka, with patchier records in the Himalayan foothills. It favors forest edges, open woodland, scrubby hillsides, and clearings in plantations. By day it roosts on the ground or along a branch, relying on camouflage, and becomes active at dusk. It often hunts along tracks, rocky outcrops, and near lights that attract insects. Breeding typically takes place on bare ground with minimal nest structure.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This crepuscular nightjar relies on superbly cryptic plumage to vanish against leaf litter and rocky ground. Its song is a repetitive churring trill with interspersed tuk notes, often delivered from a low perch at dusk. The species has been part of a complex taxonomic history and was formerly lumped with the East Asian grey nightjar, now treated as Caprimulgus jotaka. Like other nightjars, it has a huge gape fringed with bristles that helps funnel insects into its mouth during aerial sallies.
In flight (Western Ghats)
With chick, in Bandipur National Park
Jungle nightjar in Karnataka
Temperament
solitary and crepuscular
Flight Pattern
buoyant with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs during the breeding season. Nests are a simple scrape on the ground, typically with 1–2 eggs; both parents share incubation and chick-rearing. Roosts motionless by day, often aligned along a branch or on bare ground, relying on camouflage to avoid detection.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A sustained, mechanical churring trill given at dusk and dawn, often from a low perch or rocky outcrop. Interspersed with sharp tuk or chuk notes during display flights.
Plumage
Cryptic mottled grey-brown with blackish and buff vermiculations; finely barred underparts and pale buff scapular spots. Plumage is soft and loose, blending seamlessly with leaf litter and bark.
Diet
Feeds almost exclusively on flying insects such as moths, beetles, termites, and flying ants. Captures prey on the wing using a wide gape bordered by rictal bristles. Will occasionally pick insects from the ground or low foliage.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along forest edges, clearings, scrub, and over tracks or water where insects congregate. Frequently forages around streetlights or village edges that attract nocturnal insects.
