It was formerly considered a subspecies of the rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler until it was split in 2024 by the IOC and Clements checklist.

The red-eyed scimitar babbler was first described by Italian zoologist Tommaso Salvadori in 1889 from a specimen collected by Leonardo Fea near the mountain of Yado Taung, 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Leiktho in Myanmar.

[1][2] It was later moved the genus Erythrogenys and treated as a subspecies of the rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler under the name E. e. imberbis.

Following a 2023 study, it was classified as a distinct species based on morphological and vocalization differences.

[3][4][5] There are currently two recognized subspecies:[4] The red-eyed babbler can be differentiated from its relatives by its red iris, dark bill, brown-orange ear coverts, grey lore and the lack of breast streaking on most individuals.