Nests on ground, laying eggs in a scrape with no nest material. 2 eggs, well camouflaged. Usually 1 brood, but sometimes 2. Silent, with frequent long glides but also hovers, and turns swiftly as it hunts for prey.
Males have distinctive churring song given for long periods from dusk throughout the night.
More often heard than seen, this summer visitor of heathland and forestry areas is a secretive, nocturnal bird. Amazingly camouflaged, it nests and roosts on the ground, but is rendered almost invisible by a plumage which blends in with a background of dead leaves, heather or bracken. Active at night it is most often located by the male's distinctive song. Unmistakable, it has been variously described as similar to a spinning wheel, a fishing reel, or the drone of a distant motorbike. Other noises made by the bird includes a loud clap, generated by the bird slapping its wings together over its back, which is typically done by the male as part of courtship.