The large-tailed nightjar is a nightjar found mostly in the lowland, mangrove or mountainous forests in the moist tropical and subtropical regions. It is large and brightly shaded. It has a long and very broad tail, but its bill is very small. Its wings are also long. It sports a moustache and a patch on the breast and both are whitish in colour.
It’s very difficult to distinguish these birds from among the dead leaves on ground, on which they usually roost. They also make their nests on the ground. They produce a slow chunk-chunk call and are quite noisy in nature.
At night, they hunt flying insects by flying in circles.
In India, these birds are very commonly found in Northeastern states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Outside, they are found in Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.