The Avian Spellcasters — A Magical Bird Project
Avian Spellcasters is an ongoing project dedicated to revealing the subtle (or not so subtle) magic in birds — their personalities, powers and quiet enchantments they radiate without realising how cool they are. Through minimalist illustrations and playful natural philosophy, each species is reimagined with its own Prime Power, recognising everyday birds as the true wizards of society.
Meet the Spellcasters
What is This Project?
Avian spellcasting is the idea that every bird carries a unique form of magic — a personality trait, behavioural quirk or evolutionary trick that feels like a magical ability when viewed through the right lens.
Instead of traditional field-guide language, the project translates these traits into Prime Powers — playful, magical archetypes that highlight what makes each species special, strange or unexpectedly powerful.
It’s a hybrid of natural history, mythology, and affectionate bird nonsense. Still, each Prime Power is grounded in real traits — behavioural, ecological or evolutionary. The magic is never invented; it’s simply reframed!
It might seem lighthearted on the surface, but underneath it’s all a genuine admiration of the intelligence, adaptability, and charm of everyday birds.
Why Birds?
Birds seem to live in a slightly different realm of our reality. While we’re going about our daily lives, they’re operating at the interface between the land, sea, and sky. They’re close enough to be familiar, yet still hold an air of elusiveness as if they’re visiting from another dimension.
They’re ordinary and enchanted at the same time.
Avian Spellcasters is my way of shining a light on the magic of reality (specifically birds) — showing that magic is not something to wait for, but rather something to uncover that’s already standing right in front of us.
Follow the project on Instagram: @avianspellcasters for new spellcasters and bird magic.