The species was described by Edward Blyth in 1851 under the binomial name Saxicola fusca based on a specimen from Mathura ("Muttra" in original). It is considered to be monotypic although Walter Koelz suggested a new subspecies ruinarum in 1939 based on a specimen from Bhopal.
The species was first described by Edward Blyth in 1851 under the binomial name Saxicola fusca, following analysis of a specimen from Mathura ("Muttra"). Although it is currently classified as a single type, Walter Koelz proposed an additional subspecies, ruinarum, in 1939 based on a sample collected in Bhopal.