Its common name reflects its adaptation to living on the forest floor in the fashion of a South East Asian pheasant.

They are found in rainforest habitats, eating fallen fruits and seeds, in the Aru Islands.

The species is believed to be slowly declining due to deforestation of their habitats from pressure for logging and agricultural space.

Because it is tied to primary forests, and is unique within the pigeon family, it is considered a genus that requires further investigation and monitoring.

The black-naped pheasant pigeon was for a long time known to science only from the type specimen collected in 1882,[7] and for the ensuing 140 years thought to be extinct,[8] but was then captured with a trail camera in late 2022 by researchers on Fergusson Island.