 The black-faced cormorant is one of around 40 species in the cormorant and shag family Phalacrocoracidae.This family split off from the darter family Anhingadae over 40 million years ago, so it has a relatively independent evolutionary history.Of the suggested 7 genera in the cormorant family, the black-faced cormorant is part of the Old-Word cormorants "Phalacrocorax."