The female crestless fireback is almost completely black with a blue or green gloss and was for some time considered to be a separate species.

[1] The female is very similar in appearance to the male Salvadori's pheasant (Lophura inornata) which is endemic to Sumatra, but that species tends to inhabit forests at higher altitudes.

The crestless firebacks are shy birds and seldom seen; they inhabit undergrowth in lowland rainforests, and also secondary growth forest in Malaysia, up to altitudes of about 300 m (1,000 ft).

They breed in captivity, and a nest recorded in the wild was between the buttress roots of a large tree and contained a clutch of four or five pink or pale buff eggs.

However, they have also been observed in partially logged secondary forest in both Malaysia and Sumatra, and have been recorded there at densities of six birds per square kilometre.