[8] The purple-crowned plovercrest is mostly sedentary but in the southernmost part of its range some individuals move to lower elevations in winter.

[8] The purple-crowned plovercrest forages for nectar from near the ground to the canopy, utilizing both native and introduced flowering species.

In addition to nectar, the species feeds on insects caught in flight or gleaned from leaves.

Females make a cup nest of soft plant and seed fibers bound with spiderweb and with lichens on the outside.

[8] The IUCN has assessed the purple-crowned plovercrest as being of Least Concern, though its population size and trend are unknown.

[1] It is considered patchily distributed and locally common in parts of its range and uncommon to rare in Paraguay.

It occurs in several national parks and private reserves, and "[r]eadily accepts man-modified habitats such as farmland" as long as patches of scrub or forest remain.