The genus Dessonornis was introduced in 1836 by British ornithologist Andrew Smith to accommodate a single species, the white-throated robin-chat, which is therefore considered as the type species.[1][2] The name Dessonornis is a misspelling, Smith corrected it to Bessonornis in 1840.[3] The name combines the Ancient Greekbēssa meaning "glen" or "wooded valley" with ornis meaning "bird".[4] The spelling correction is not recognized by International Ornithologists' Union.[5]
Species in this genus was previously placed in Cossypha, while phylogenetic studies revealed that they are more closely related to Cichladusa and Xenocopsychus.[6] In the taxonomic revision to create monophyletic groups, Dessonornis was resurrected with the following species:[5]
^Smith, Andrew (1840). Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa. Vol. 2, Aves. London: Smith, Elder. Plate 48, text. The book was published in parts. The part including Plate 48 was published in March 1840. See: Barnard, K.H. (1950). "The dates of issue of the "Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa" and the "Marine Investigations in South Africa"". Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History. 2 (6): 187–189. doi:10.3366/jsbnh.1950.2.6.187.
