Common and unmistakable. Mostly black with a bright red belly, a red ear patch, and a blue rump and shoulder. Young birds are duller orange instead of red. Pairs or small flocks forage at all levels of montane forest and edges, often with mixed-species flocks. Occurs from extreme western Venezuela to Bolivia, from around 2,600 to 3,600 m. Listen for strange song: a rambling jumble of squeaks and tinkles.