Historically, it has been treated as a subspecies of the lesser vasa parrot, although it shows morphological, ecological and behavioural differences.

[2] Recent phylogenetic research indicates that the Seychelles population has a long history of isolation and may be sister to the rest of Coracopsis.

Wild foods include the fruits of the endemic palm Vershaffeltia splendida, growing along the river valleys, as well as the flowers of the coco de mer.

The birds breed in deep cavities of old tree trunks with good cover, where they lay 1-3 eggs.

[7] Although it is protected, it is threatened by illegal persecution outside the reserve as well as by competition for nesting hollows with common mynas,[5] and predation by introduced rats.