Habitat
Dry open woodland and scattered shrubland on stony ridges, foothills and in ravines. Also grassland with scattered rocky outcrops or scrub. From sea-level - 2,000 m.
Voice
A low, buzzy squeal 'schzeeip' or 'chaweez', or a loud grating 'chwip' or 'chweeep', repeated often, at short intervals, for thirty minutes or more. A low chuckle or soft screech when flushed.
Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis) [XC368395]
by Abhin M Sunil from Hock Seng Gardens, Singapore (call)
Savanna Nightjar (Caprimulgus affinis) [XC808436]
by Geoff Carey from Shenzhen, Guangdong, China (song)
Nest
None. The egg is laid directly on the bare ground.
Subspecies
Birds from southern Sulawesi may represent an undescribed taxon. Populations from north-eastern India to Thailand formerly separated as subspecies burmanicus.
The following 10 subspecies are recognised:
monticolus Franklin, 1831 - North-eastern Pakistan and India east to Myanmar and south to Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam.
amoyensis Baker, ECS, 1931 - South-eastern China and northern Vietnam.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9