The species typically uses lowlands and hillsides, with scattered vegetation and bare ground, in pine woodland, coastal forest, eucalyptus or olive plantations, vineyards, open scrubland with cork oak (Quercus suber), prickly pear (Opuntia) or scattered trees, and dense thickets of broom, gorse (Ulex), bramble (Rubus fruticosus), tree heath (Erica arborea) or pistachio (Pistacea lentiscus) (Cleere et al. 2020). In south-west Spain it is attracted towards the warmth of paved roads during migration and during cool weather (temperature below 20°C) or low temperatures (below 14°C), with paved roads providing significantly warmer substrate than gravelled or sandy areas (Camacho 2013). It breeds from early May to late August in Spain and Portugal and mid-May to August in central Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia (Cleere et al. 2020). It usually lays one to two eggs (Cuadrado and Domínguez 1996). The eggs are laid directly on the ground, on leaf litter or pine needles. It feeds on flying and flightless insects. The species is migratory, wintering in west Africa although the exact range is unclear (Cleere et al. 2020).

The species breeds in Algeria, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia, whilst most appear to winter to the south of the Sahara in West Africa, being common in central and southern Mali but it is likely under-recorded elsewhere (Cleere et al. 2020). There are few records from Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire or Ghana and presence in winter in Burkina Faso and the Lake Chad basin in Nigeria was only recorded at the start of the 21st century (Ottosson et al. 2002, Portier 2002). It is likely to also occur in Guinea-Bissau (Borrow and Demey 2001), but the status is uncertain. It is likely that wintering individuals could be found more widely across West Africa.The relative proportion of the population breeding in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa is unknown. For the nominate subspecies, which breeds in north Morocco, Spain and Portugal, it is possible that the majority breed in Europe, while the abundance of C. ruficollis desertorum elsewhere in Morocco and in Algeria and Tunisia is uncertain.

Conservation Actions Underway
There are no known current conservation measures for this species.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Research the species' biology and ecology to help inform conservation measures (Forero et al. 2001). Investigate the impacts and extent of predation. Develop specific measures to reduce impact of agricultural activities.
Identify key sites for the species and ensure protection from development and disturbance. Control native, problematic species (such as domestic dogs). Review legal protection of the species. Avoid installation of renewable energy schemes such as photovoltaic plants. Minimise the use of insecticidal products. Regulate artificial lighting (Camacho and Sáez-Gómez 2021).