[2] The pygmy nightjar is 16 to 20 cm (6.3 to 7.9 in) long; one male weighed 32 g (1.1 oz).

Males of the nominate subspecies have brown upperparts with grayish white and cinnamon speckles.

N. n. cearae is paler than the nominate, with a more rufous belly and lighter brown bars on the underparts.

[4] The nominate subspecies of pygmy nightjar is found in the northeastern Brazilian states of Piauí, Bahia, and Alagoas.

N. n. veilliardi is found in southeastern Minas Gerais and west central Espírito Santo states of eastern Brazil.

[2][4] The pygmy nightjar inhabits dry landscapes of scrub and deciduous forest.

It forages in open areas by flying up from the ground to capture prey and returning to the same site.