It is found in Cuba and Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti).

Measuring 20 cm (7.9 in) long, this highly social species is entirely black, save for the namesake brown-orange patch at the shoulder.

[2] Two subspecies are described:[3] They breed from April to August, laying 3–4 greenish-white eggs spotted with brown in a cup-shaped nest that is lined with soft materials and placed in a tree.

[2] Tawny-shouldered blackbirds eat insects, seeds, nectar, fruit, and small lizards.

[2] Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, pastureland, and heavily degraded former forest.