The first description of a bird called "jendaya" was by German naturalist, Georg Marcgraf, during his 1638 expedition through Dutch Brazil. It was first classified by German naturalist Johann Gmelin as "Psittacus jandaya" in his "Systema Naturae", 1788, based on "Psittacula brasiliensis lutea" of Brisson, 1760; "jandaya" of Ray, 1676; and "yellow-headed parrot" of Latham, 1781. In 1916, American ornithologist Robert Ridgway reclassified the 21–22 species of neotropical parakeets in genus "Conurus" into four genera, placing "jandaya" into the genus "Aratinga".