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European Nightjars are medium-sized 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 European Nightjars is that the crown, nape of the neck and back are all streaked dark-grey on mid-grey. Among the Eurasian nightjars they have the highest colour contrast between dark parts of their plumage and light patches. The irises are dark. The very short, swallow-like bill is grey. Legs and feet are hardly ever visible.

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 European Nightjar is available HERE .

European Nightjars are a strongly migratory species, with 6 different races. Their breeding grounds range from all of Europe, except Scotland and central/northern Scandinavia, to the north-western African coastline, Asia Minor and eastward into central Asia. Their range eastwards extends from the Baltic states and southern Finland towards the border region of Russia with Mongolia and far northern China. Their range also extends through northern Iraq, parts of Iran into Afghanistan and Pakistan, to roughly the border with India. They spend the northern winters in the southern part of West Africa and in parts of eastern Africa, from about the southern border of Ethiopia southward towards the Cape of Good Hope, from the great inland lakes to the East coast. There is also a small wintering population in northern Oman.

In Arabia European Nightjars are found as winter visitors. They are found only along the North coast of Oman, from about the Muscat area westwards to the western base of Musandam, in the UAE.

They are usually found in semi-open landscapes with some scattered vegetation (often acacias) and interspersed open areas in which they prefer to hunt. In their breeding areas they favour heath and grassland.

Race "unwini"

Race "meridionalis"