Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🐦 A young bird 🌱 A beginner 🐤 Just grown feathers
fledgeling

fledgeling

5.5
A young bird with feathers for flying that just left the nest
  • noun
  • /ˈflɛdʒlɪŋ/
  • UK
translation icon : pichón
  • The robin fledgeling perched on the branch, hesitating before its first flight.

Examples

  • After a week, the fledgeling left the safety of its nest to explore the world.

  • A mother bird was seen feeding her fledgeling in the early morning.

  • The fledgeling took its first flight today.

  • I spotted a fledgeling in the tree.

  • The little fledgeling took its first flight, fluttering awkwardly into the air.

  • As the sun rose, the fledgeling spread its wings and soared across the meadow.

  • Watching the fledgeling leave the nest for the first time brought tears to my eyes.

Synonyms

young bird
vsfledgeling
1 1.2

A baby bird that is not yet an adult

is narrower and focuses on the immediate feathering and nest leaving stage
fledgling
vsfledgeling
6.1

Describes a young bird that has just learned to fly

is the same but stresses recent leaving of the nest

Antonyms

adult
103 1.0

A fully grown animal, not a young one

How Mature

adult
103 1.0
juvenile
79 3.9
fledgeling
  • UK
5.5
nestling
  • Specialized
2 5.6
hatchling
12 3.5

Surface Forms

fledgeling singular
fledgelings plural

Morphology

fledgeling = fledge (transparent) = fledge + ling

Formed by the verb 'fledge' + the diminutive/nominal suffix '-ling', so the meaning 'young bird that has recently fledged' follows directly from the base.

Etymology

Fledgeling comes from the verb fledge, which means 'to grow feathers', plus the small ending -ling meaning 'young one'. So a fledgeling is a young bird that has just got the feathers it needs and is ready to leave the nest.