This sand-gray nightjar blends into dry semi-desert. It is active from dusk into the night, rests on the ground by day, and catches insects close to the ground.
Its back and wings are sand-gray with fine dark mottling. Both sexes show a white band on the outer wing in flight; the male has white tips on the outer tail feathers, while the female has smaller buff marks.
It is active at dusk and night and often rests on the ground during the day. At night it makes low, twisting flights to catch moths and beetles.
On 3 March 2009 in Banni grasslands, Gujarat, an active nest held two camouflaged eggs directly on baked mud in open, bare ground.
On 4 May 2009, another nest near Bhagadia village in Banni grasslands contained two chicks.
In coastal dunes of Kachchh and Banni grasslands it is commonly seen from November to February, with birds roosting among decaying Prosopis juliflora material.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.