As a whole, "C. uropygialis" it is usually called the scarlet-rumped cacique. However, it is often split into two species, in which case this name is limited to "Cacicus (uropygialis) microrhynchus" (with subspecies "pacificus"), while the nominate subspecies, "C. u. uropygialis", is referred to as the subtropical cacique. The "true" scarlet-rumped cacique - then Cacicus microrhynchus - may also be split further; the Pacific populations have been proposed as the Pacific cacique ("Cacicus pacificus"). The AOU considers it likely that at least two species are involved, but points out that no dedicated analysis of the data at hand has been published. It therefore does not formally recognize the split at present.