The Black-backed Wood Quail has a dark brown back and a rufous throat and breast. It forages on the forest floor in montane forests spanning northwestern Ecuador and southwestern Colombia.
The upperparts are dark brown, the throat and breast bright rufous, and the brown underparts lightly streaked. Males have a darker breast than females.
Dark-backed Wood-quails live in wet montane forest on the western Andes of south-western Colombia and north-western Ecuador. They eat fruit and terrestrial invertebrates and live in groups, which are particularly vocal at dawn in the wet season. Dense undergrowth forms part of their habitat.
At Pacha Quindi Nature Refuge, 2,000 m above sea level in Ecuador, adults and young were recorded together in May in two successive years. On 10 May 2000, two adults accompanied three dependent young. On 26 May 2001, observers saw four adults with three juveniles.
The first gathering contained five birds and the second seven, each including young birds alongside adults. These observations show young and fully grown birds sharing groups in this mountain forest.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern · Global
The 2023 IUCN global assessment lists Least Concern. Forest loss and hunting are identified threats, with a slow hunting-related decline suspected. Proposed actions include refining distribution and numbers and assessing hunting impacts. Dense secondary growth is also used, making local forest condition relevant to habitat conservation.