auspex

Auspex is a Latin term meaning "bird observer" and historically refers to a Roman religious official who interpreted omens by observing birds, particularly as part of the auspices. The auspex observed birds’ flight patterns and other signs to determine whether the gods approved a proposed action. In the Roman religious hierarchy, auspex were a subset of the augures, a priestly college responsible for divination and predicting the will of the gods before public decisions and military campaigns. They typically consulted during matters such as elections, warfare, or religious ceremonies. The practice contributed to the broader concept of auspices (omens) in Roman religion; the word auspex is the etymological ancestor of the English word auspice, and of the adjective auspicious.

In modern usage, auspex can refer to a person who conducts augury by birds in classical studies, or more broadly to anyone who foresees or interprets omens. In popular culture and gaming, Auspex is used as the name of supernatural disciplines or devices granting enhanced perception or prescience; for example, in Vampire: The Masquerade the Auspex discipline grants heightened senses and extrasensory perception, while other settings may assign different powers to an Auspex-like ability.