This nocturnal nightjar inhabits foothill and highland woodland in western Mexico. It is often heard before it is seen; gray-brown plumage and a white collar are useful field marks.
It is gray-brown to rusty, with a white collar, white wing spots, and a narrow white tail tip. The ear-like feathers are rarely raised. The sexes look similar.
It forages from the ground and from perches in brushy oak woodland at foothill and highland elevations. The bird is difficult to see and is often detected by its voice.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.