The Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is a plump gray ground dove. Its purple iridescent back, pale face with a dark moustache stripe, and reddish legs help identify it.
Its wings are brownish, and the pale face has a dark moustache stripe. The back shows a purple iridescence, the legs are reddish, and the sexes look alike.
It usually stays on the forest floor and may fly to a low branch when flushed. It is sometimes seen along trails at dawn or dusk.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.