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Red-necked Nightjars are the largest European nightjars. They have the typical mid-grey, slightly reflective and highly cryptic plumage of all nightjars, with dark-grey streaks and light silvery-grey patches. The distinguishing feature of Red-necked Nightjars is their rufous-coloured neck. Also the front and the underwings are pale-rufous, with intricate fine darker barring. On the upperwings they have several spotted creamy to buff wing covert bars, none of which is brighter than the others. In flight the upperwings show rufous-barred remiges. The irises are dark. The very short, swallow-like bill is grey. Legs and feet are also grey.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Red-necked Nightjar is available HERE .

Red-necked Nightjars are a migratory species of which there are two extant races, both of which overwinter in tropical West Africa. While nominate race "ruficollis" breeds in Iberia, race "desertorum" breeds in near-coastal north-western Africa (in and around the Atlas mountain range).

In Europe Red-necked Nightjars are found as breeding migrants only on the Iberian peninsula and the Balearic islands.

Red-necked Nightjars have a preference for stone-pine forest or sandy heath with tree clumps.

Race "ruficollis"