Females are similar, but have browner undersides, duller and less glossy upperparts, and more rusty-orange outer tail feathers.

Breeding takes place from November to January on Príncipe and February onwards on São Tomé.

The island bronze-naped pigeon was described as Columba Malherbii in 1851 by Jules and Édouard Verreaux based on specimen from São Tomé, although they erroneously mentioned the type locality as being "Gaboon".

[4] Island bronze-naped pigeon is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union.

In adult males, the crown (top of the head), forecrown, hindcrown, back of the neck, and mantle are slaty-grey, with the last three having a glossy pink or green sheen.

[7][6] Females are similar to males, but have browner undersides, with fine yellow-brown speckling on the lower breast and upper belly.

Juveniles are like females but browner overall, with less iridescence on the back of the neck, ochre or rufous freckles on the upperparts, and buff edges to the feathers of the crown and forecrown.

[7][6] The species is similar in appearance to the closely related western and eastern bronze-naped pigeons, but does not co-occur with them in any part of its range.

Males are also maroon; females are more similar in colour, but are generally darker grey than the island bronze-naped pigeon.

[1][7] The island bronze-naped pigeon is an arboreal (tree-inhabiting) species usually seen singly or in small flocks of up to seven birds.

[7] Breeding takes place from November to January on Príncipe and February onwards on São Tomé.

[7][6] The island bronze-naped pigeon is common in parts of its range, but is considered near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to an ongoing "moderately quick" decline in its population caused by hunting.

[1] On São Tomé, it widespread at low and mid-elevations;[7] the population on the island is estimated to number 47,846–205,079 total individuals, of which 32,000–137,400 are adults.