 This species was formerly in the genus "Alopecoenas" Sharpe, 1899, but the name of the genus was changed in 2019 to "Pampusana" Bonaparte, 1855 as this name has priority.This species averages in length and weighs .The male white-throated ground dove has a chocolate brown body with white head and breast while the females are shade of brown with no white on the body.