The orange ground thrush was described as Turdus gurneyi by Hartlaub in 1864.

[2] It is named after John Henry Gurney Sr., an English banker, politician and ornithologist.

[4] Its habitat is montane forests,[2] namely the afromontane of southeastern Africa.

[2] The breeding season is January to May in Kenya, August to December in Tanzania, October to January in Malawi, and September to December in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

[2] In breeding pairs, the female has been observed to consistently weigh more than the male.

[2] The nest is a deep cup built of moss, twigs, leaves, roots and ferns.

The IUCN Red List has listed the species as least concern because it has a large range and its population is not declining quickly enough for it to be considered vulnerable.