The pardusco was formally described in 1976 by the American ornithologists George Lowery and Dan Tallman from specimens collected in the Department of Huánuco of central Peru. They introduced the monospecific genus Nephelornis creating the binomial name Nephelornis oneilli.
The pardusco was formally described in 1976 by American ornithologists George Lowery and Dan Tallman from specimens gathered in the Huánuco region of central Peru. They established a new genus, Nephelornis, with the species Nephelornis oneilli.