 It was a contemporary of the much larger Saint Bathans heron, remains of which have been found in the same sediments.The genus name "Pikaihao" comes from the Māori "pi" (a prefix for small birds or chicks) and "kaihao" (“fisherman”).The specific epithet honours Sandy Bartle, Curator of Birds at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from 1976 to 2009.