Indian Nightjar

The Indian nightjar is a small, short-tailed nightjar that breeds in open land across South and Southeast Asia. It has white corners to the tail, a golden nape and collar, dark cheeks, white patches on the sides of the throat, a grey crown and a finely barred brown breast. Males show more white on the tail (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is crepuscular and best found by its call at dawn and dusk, likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake, which earned it the colonial name ice-bird. It flies after sundown with a silent, moth-like flight and lies still on the ground by day, blending with the soil. The population in Sri Lanka is named eidos and is darker and greyer overall. Nationally Least Concern (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).