The white-shouldered tanager (Loriotus luctuosus) is a medium-sized passerine bird.

The bulky cup nest is built in low vegetation, and the female lays three brown-blotched cream eggs.

White-shouldered tanagers are 14 cm long and weigh 14 g. They are long-tailed and with a mostly black stout pointed bill.

The shoulder patch is the most obvious difference from the similar but larger white-lined tanager, in which the smaller white area is rarely visible except in flight.

Females and immatures have olive upperparts, yellow underparts and a grey head and neck.