Systematics
When he first described the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu in his 1766 edition of Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus assigned it to the genus Fringilla. It was later moved to the genus Uraeginthus, along with the rest of the cordon-bleus and grenadiers. The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, the Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, and the Blue Waxbill—form a species group within the genus. Further, the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu may form a superspecies with the Blue Waxbill, with which it shares similar habitats.
There are four subspecies, which differ primarily in the amount of blue on the face and underparts of the females.
- U. b. bengalus
- U. b. brunneigularis
- U. b. littoralis
- U. b. ugogoensis
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