Immature birds have a duller red face with fewer yellow streaks than adults.

[6] The subspecies of the rusty-faced parrot are found thus:[3][6] Undocumented sight records in Ecuador lead the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society to classify the species as hypothetical in that country.

[4] The rusty-faced parrot mostly inhabits very wet cloudforest, though H. a. velezi has been recorded where the alder Alnus acuminata has been used for reforestation.

[6] The rusty-faced parrot feeds on seeds and fruit including those of genus Clusia and mistletoes.

The primary threat is deforestation for human settlement expansion, agriculture, ranching, and other purposes.