There is disagreement as to whether the species is monotypic, or can be divided into subspecies P. c. cristatus of Southern Africa and P. c. septentrionalis of East Africa.
ðɛɹ ɪz dˌɪsɐɡɹˈiːmənt æz tə wˈɛðɚ ðə spˈiːsiːz ɪz mˌɑːnoʊtˈɪpɪk, ɔːɹ kæn biː dᵻvˈaɪdᵻd ˌɪntʊ sˈʌbspiːsˌiːz pˈiː. sˈiː. kɹˈɪstæɾəs ʌv sˈʌðɚn ˈæfɹɪkə ænd pˈiː. sˈiː. sˌɛptəntɹɪənˈɑːliz ʌv ˈiːst ˈæfɹɪkə.