The pied monarch is closely related to and forms a superspecies with the two other species of monarch flycatcher in the genus "Arses". Two subspecies are recognised, however they two intergrade where their ranges meet at Mossman, and they could be treated as a monotypic species. The monarch flycatchers are classified either as a subfamily Monarchinae, together with the fantails as part of the drongo family Dicruridae, or as a family Monarchidae in its own right. Molecular research in the late 1980s and early 1990s revealed the monarchs belong to a large group of mainly Australasian birds known as the Corvida parvorder comprising many tropical and Australian passerines. More recently, the grouping has been refined somewhat as the monarchs have been classified in a 'Core corvine' group with the crows and ravens, shrikes, birds of paradise, fantails, drongos and mudnest builders.