The red-headed myzomela was described and named as Myzomela erythrocephala by John Gould in 1840,[REF] from specimens collected in King Sound in northern Western Australia [REF].
The red-headed myzomela is a member of the genus Myzomela which includes two other Australian species, the scarlet myzomela of eastern Australia, and the dusky myzomela of northern Australia.