The rufous-bellied nighthawk is 23 to 25 cm (9.1 to 9.8 in) long. Its uppersides and wings are dark brown with rufous and buff spots and speckles. The tail is brown with tawny or grayish brown bars and a pale tip. The chin is dark brown, the throat white, the breast dark brown, and the belly and flanks tawny buff.
The rufous-bellied nighthawk is found in the Andes of western Venezuela, the eastern and central Andes of Colombia, the west side of much of the Ecuadoran Andes, and the east side of the Andes through Ecuador and Peru into Boliva. It inhabits humid montane cloudforest, in at least Ecuador and Peru at elevations between 1,500 and 3,450 m (4,900 and 11,000 ft).
The rufous-bellied nighthawk is usually found singly or in pairs. It is most active at dusk, and during the day roosts lengthwise on tree branches.
The rufous-bellied nighthawk feeds on the wing; though its diet has not been studied it is assumed to be insects.
The rufous-bellied nighthawk's breeding phenology has not been studied. It is assumed to be similar to that of its congener, the short-tailed nighthawk, which lays its one egg directly on a horizontal branch.
The IUCN has assessed the rufous-bellied nighthawk as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, and though its population is believed to be declining, the rate of decline is not thought to be fast enough for a more serious rating. No immediate threats other than habitat destruction have been identified.
