The white-bellied blue robin was formerly considered conspecific with this species but in 2005 the two taxa were split by Pamela C. Rasmussen, a treatment that is followed by some authorities.

Their genus remained uncertain until a 2017 molecular phylogenetic study found that these two south Indian species formed a sister group to a clade containing the genera Eumyias, Niltava and Cyornis.

Although sharing similar habits and shape, the two species differ in plumage and both may show slight sexual dimorphism.

[4] Thomas C. Jerdon obtained a specimen of the rufous-bellied species from the Nilgiris and called it Phaenicura major ("Large Red-start") in 1844[5] but Edward Blyth suggested that the species should be placed in the genus Callene that he had separated from the already extant Brachypteryx, a genus in which he also placed the blue-fronted robin (now Cinclidium frontale then Callene frontalis).

[4] This genus placement was carried on in the second edition of The Fauna of British India (1924) by E. C. Stuart Baker[7] but was demoted into a subspecies on the basis of a specimen collected by T. F. Bourdillon at Mynal which was claimed to be intermediate to the two forms.

[8] This treatment as subspecies was carried forward by Salim Ali and Sidney Dillon Ripley in their "Handbook"[9][10] until the old two species were restored by P C Rasmussen in 2005.

[14] A 2017 study found that the species from southern India formed a group that is a sister to the clade (treated as subfamily Niltavinae[15]) of flycatchers in the genera Eumyias, Cyanoptila, Niltava, Cyornis and Anthipes and the new genus of Sholicola was erected for them.

[2][23] Two greyish green and brown-marked eggs are laid during the breeding season that varies from April to June, after the rains.