The species was only described in 1972, and has been the subject of considerable taxonomic confusion. It was initially placed in the greenbul genus Phyllastrephus, and later with the Old World warblers in the genus Bernieria.
A species that was only identified in 1972 has been a focal point of taxonomic controversy. It was initially assigned to the Phyllastrephus genus, which includes greenbul birds, and later reclassified into the Bernieria genus, which comprises Old World warblers.