[4][5] The brown-hooded and rose-faced parrot (Pyrilia pulchra) have at times been treated as conspecific and are now considered sister species.

[6] The brown-hooded parrot has two subspecies, the nominate P. h. haematotis (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1860) and P. h. coccinicollaris (Lawrence, 1862).

Immature birds are much like adults but with a paler head, no red patch behind the eye, and a greener breast.

P. h. coccinicollaris is found from approximately the Panama Canal into northwestern Colombia's Chocó, Antioquia, and Córdoba departments.

The clutch size, incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.

The brown-hooded parrot's flight call has been described as "a clear chirruping kee-reek or curicu-reek"[7] and also as "a high-pitched chreea, cheea".