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. No nest is made; the two marbled creamy-pink eggs are placed on bare ground, and the brooding bird sits closely and is well camouflaged.