Four subspecies are recognized with the nominate sultanea (Hodgson, 1837) found from Central Nepal into the eastern Himalayas extending into Myanmar, northern Thailand and Southern China. This intergrades with the race flavocristata (Lafresnaye, 1837) is found further south in Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and Hainan. Race seorsa is found in Laos and parts of southeastern China (Guangxi, Fujian) and in its northern range intergrades with sultanea. Subspecies gayeti named after the collector M.V. Gayet-Laroche by Delacour & Jabouille in 1925 has a black crest in both males and females and is found in Laos and Vietnam.