What is the scientific name of the critically endangered California condor?

The scientific name of the critically endangered California condor is Gymnogyps californianus.

The California condor is a New World vulture and the largest North American land bird. It is the only living species in the genus Gymnogyps. English naturalist George Shaw described it in 1797, originally placing it in the genus Vultur as Vultur californianus. Later taxonomic work gave it its current genus and species combination.

The genus name refers to the bird’s naked head, while californianus reflects its historical association with California. Adults have black plumage, broad white wing patches, and a mostly bare head whose color can shift from gray to yellow or orange.

The species went extinct in the wild in 1987, when the last free-flying birds were captured for a conservation breeding program. Reintroduction later established condors in California, Arizona, Utah, and Baja California. A common confusion is the Andean condor, whose scientific name is Vultur gryphus; it is a different species in a different genus.