Eocypselus rowei was first described in 2013 by Daniel T. Ksepka, Julia A. Clarke, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Felicia B. Kulp, and Lance Grande in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences [REF].
According to its discoverers, E. rowei is a basal form of the order Apodiformes, which traditionally includes hummingbirds, tree swifts, and swifts [REF].