The Scarlet-headed Blackbird ranges from Bolivia and Paraguay through Brazil and Uruguay to Argentina. It is associated with wetlands, lakes and riverbanks bordered by marsh vegetation.
Adults have black plumage with a striking red-orange head, chest and thighs. The bill and legs are black, and the iris is dark brown.
It is seen alone or in pairs. Two nests observed in the flooded Pantanal were attached to marsh vegetation at least 1 m above water; both adults cared for chicks in those observations.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.