This heron is named after the ornithologist who first recognised it as being different from the mainland species. He was the British medical doctor, Dr William Bourne, who had a special interest in island birds. He obtained a specimen of this heron in 1951, skinned it and took it to the United Kingdom, by which time it was in a poor condition. The Natural History Museum, London identified it as a rather pale purple heron. It was only after other specimens were collected by Abbé René de Naurois that the differences between the island race and the mainland form were recognised.
