The helmeted manakin was formally described in 1823 by the German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein from specimens collected near São Paulo in Brazil.

[4] Antilophia were considered very closely related to Chiroxiphia, another genus of manakin which inhabit rainforests in Central and South America, and there is possible hybridization between them.

[9] Helmeted manakins are endemic to the Cerrado savanna ecosystems of central Brazil as well as pockets in northeast Paraguay and Bolivia.

[8][11] The seasonally dry Cerrado is an unusual habitat for Pipridae, a family that typically occupies lush rainforests.

[12] Like most Pipridae the helmeted manakin is primarily a frugivorous species, though populations in gallery forests near Capetinga, Brazil have been documented gleaning and sallying insects.

[13] The reproductive period for males stretches from July to December, with a peak in singing intensity and courtship displays in August and September.

[11] In the dry season, when food is less abundant, territorial boundaries dissipate and home range overlap between individuals increases.

[9] Home ranges of males and females are large (on average 16 to 20 hectares during the breeding season) and overlap considerably with one another.

[14][10] Like all members of Pipridae male helmeted manakins gather in leks during the mating season where they perform a courtship display for an onlooking female.

[14] The helmeted manakin's mating display is unusually subdued for a Pipridae, a family characterized by their complex and flashy courtship performances.