The Violet-backed Hyliota searches leaf undersides for small prey. A Rwanda survey recorded it in canopy foliage below 2,000 m.
It is about 13 cm long. Oiseaux.net classifies it as an arboreal gleaner of invertebrates. It also has a shortish tail.
In the Nyungwe survey it gleaned prey from leaf undersides and branches and sometimes hovered briefly to catch prey. It was recorded in pairs or family parties of three to four, sometimes with mixed insectivore flocks.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.