[5] Linnaeus based his description on the "Mango bird" that had been described and illustrated in 1738 by the English naturalist Eleazar Albin.

The central tail feathers are dusky bronze to dull black and the rest metallic violet with a thin dark blue band.

The adult female is similar but with faded velvety green flanks and white tips on the outer tail feathers.

It inhabits a wide variety of open and semi-open landscapes including forest edges, gardens, plantations, and arid areas.

[8] The Jamaican mango moves from the higher elevations to mid levels in June to August after the upper flowering season ends.

It weaves a small cup nest of soft plant fibers and seed down with spider silk on a thick tree branch, typically between 3 and 8 m (9.8 and 26 ft) above the ground.