The Buff-collared Nightjar, Caprimulgus ridgwayi, is a small sized nightjar.

The adults are dark with brown, grey, black and white patterning on the upperparts and breast. The tail is dark brown, with darker finely barred markings throughout. The male has large white outer tail tips on the 3 outermost tail feathers. The female has buffy tail tips. The most distinguishing characteristic to determine its identity from its closest relative the Whip-poor-will is from where the bird gets its name. It shows a prominent buff-colored collar around its neck and nape. Its song is also very different. It sounds like an accelerating cuk, cuk, cuk, cuk, cuk, cukacheea.

Their breeding habitat is open country of Mexico and Central America to central Nicaragua. The northern limit of its range reaches just over the Mexican border to southeasternmost Arizona and southwesternmost New Mexico"?(the Madrean sky islands in the eastern Sonoran Desert mountain region), where they are only breeding resident birds. The nightjar's two eggs are laid directly on bare ground near rocks or scrubby vegetation"?there is no nest. The adult may feign injury to distract an intruder from the eggs or young birds.

They catch flying insects on the wing, making forays to catch its pray from the ground or a perch from a bush, tree or large rock. It is mainly active at night, but can also be awake at dawn or dusk. It usually rests on the ground during the day.

Buff-collared nightjar is named for Robert Ridgway, pioneering American ornithologist of the 1800s.