Small and medium-size bird with a soft, crumbly, modestly okrashennym plumage. Beak small, but very large section of the mouth, in addition to the edge of the mouth setae usazheny stringent, to increase the size of the mouth, making it easier catching insects on the fly. The wings are very long, flying relatively slow, but maneuverable and quiet (some
kozodoi during the marriage flights loud clap wings). The legs of the majority of kozodoev short, weak, so that on the ground kozodoi moving with difficulty, to sit in the branches, with non across and along the branches. Eyes big, in accordance with the crepuscular and nocturnal lifestyle, which led most of kozodoev. Our species kozodoev live in open spaces - wood glade, the fringe of the forest, in the steppes, deserts or mountains, but also among residents of tropical species have thick forests and caves . Nests kozodoi not build, delaying two mottled eggs directly on the ground. The young have kozodoev intermediate type between ptentsovymi and vyvodkovymi: they are born seeing, covered with thick down, running immediately after hatching, but did not immediately leave the «nest» , Parents and nurse them until they are not able to fly. In the winter fly off to the south. The food - insects, which they catch on the fly. In the Russia squad by one family: Kozodoevye Caprimulgidae one genus: Kozodoi Caprimulgus L ., 1758 (Shtegman, Ivanov, 1978).

In addition to ordinary kozodoya Caprimulgus europaeus Linnaeus, 1758 in the fauna of Russia are:

Large nightjar Caprimulgus indicus Latham, 1790
Bulan nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius Lichtenstein, 1823

References.