This forest turaco has a black bill. A 2020 phylogenetic study treated the violet-backed T. schuettii and green-backed T. emini as separate species-level taxa.
The 2020 study describes the T. schuettii form as violet on the back, wings, thighs and upper tail, while the eastern T. emini form is green on those parts.
The species account lists lowland rainforest as habitat and describes the bird as a fruit eater.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.