• The European nightjar can hover in one place like a bat and glide with widely spread wings. This ability is evident in flight characterized by maneuverability and silence.
• The European nightjar has an unusually large mouth, which is the basis for its name. It runs among animals, including cows and goats, and often appears in the evening near their herds.
• The European nightjar blends into the environment during the day because of its mottled plumage, squinting eyes, and limited movement. This happens when it perches on a tree branch or among fallen leaves.

The Eurasian nightjar has soft feathers with a pattern of gray, brown, and black for camouflage on the ground; the adult’s bill is short with a very wide mouth opening and bristles along the edges; the species possesses large eyes for vision in the dark; the adult displays white spots on the tail and white spots on the wings, noticeable during flight; the adult's wings are long and sharp, enabling maneuverable flight; the young have down that is gray in color to retain heat.