[5] The species' specific epithet is a reference to Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, a nobleman and naturalist who explored the hinterlands of southeastern Brazil in the early 19th century.

In Brazil, the scaly-headed parrot is called cocotas or maritacas (from mbaé'taka, tupi for "noisy bird").

Their rest of their head, their nape, and their upper back are dark greenish bronze; the feathers have darker edges that give the eponymous scaly effect.

[6] Subspecies P. m. melanoblepharus is larger than the nominate; its green areas and the blue breast are darker and the skin around the eye is dark.

In the north and west of its range it favors deciduous and gallery forest in the somewhat dry caatinga and Chaco.

[8] In one Spanish case a female scaly-headed parrot was observed successfully raising hybrid offspring with a male orange-winged amazon (Amazona amazonica).

The primary threat appears to be the pet trade, especially in Argentina, and which though illegal continues albeit at a lower pace than in the 20th century.