It is native to upland regions of Central and Eastern Africa where it is a locally common species.

The Montane nightjar was originally described by the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell in 1840.

Although a molecular genetic study of these four nightjars has not been published, the results of the detailed measurement of museum specimens suggests that they should be considered as conspecific.

Its range includes Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

No special threats have been identified and the population trend is thought to be stable.