fledge

American  

[flej] / flɛdʒ /

verb (used with object)

fledged, fledging

1. to bring up (a young bird) until it is able to fly.

2. to furnish with or as if with feathers or plumage.

3. to provide (an arrow) with feathers.

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verb (used without object)

fledged, fledging

1. (of a young bird) to acquire the feathers necessary for flight.

adjective

1. Archaic. (of young birds) able to fly.

fledge British  

/ flɛdʒ /

verb

1. (tr) to feed and care for (a young bird) until it is able to fly

2. Also called: fletch. (tr) to fit (something, esp an arrow) with a feather or feathers

3. (intr) (of a young bird) to grow feathers

4. (tr) to cover or adorn with or as if with feathers

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Other Word Forms

• fledgeless
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of fledge

1350–1400; Middle English flegge (fully-)fledged, Old English *flecge, as variant of -flycge; cognate with Old High German flucki, Middle Low German vlügge (> German flügge ); akin to fly ²

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Explanation

When baby birds fledge, they grow feathers that are big enough for flying. Just after they fledge, birds take their first practice flights. You can use the verb fledge in several ways — first, to describe what happens when a bird's feathers grow in. A mother bird — or human — who cares for and raises a young bird can also be said to fledge it. You can also talk about the process of putting feathers on something, especially a hunting arrow, this way: "Once you fledge the arrow, you can use it with your bow." The Old English root word is flycge, "having feathers, or fit to fly."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fledge fledged fledging

Managing people and predators around nesting beaches, with the modest goal of helping pairs of oystercatchers fledge half a chick more each year, brought a 45% population surge by 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

"We don't know what happens to them after they fledge but it's nice to see them reach that milestone."

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025

Once eaglets fledge, some return the same day and others return in a few days.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2025

"When he does start to fledge, he'll lose a lot of that baby fluff, and he'll also lose much of that weight, so he'll slim down nice and sleek."

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2024

The eggs hatch around the first week in June, and the nestlings are ready to fledge in early July.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

This nesting season, the pair raised eaglets Sandy and Luna, who successfully fledged.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026

The charity's reserve's officer Paul Waterhouse explained the new pair, Blue 717 and her mate Blue 476, had only fledged one chick last year, which was normal among less-experienced ospreys.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Once their cores become hot and dense enough, hydrogen fusion will ignite, transforming them into fully fledged stars.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

As a recently fledged bird hops around on the ground, unfamiliar choughs swoop down and gently herd it away to join them—that’s how desperate these birds are for helpers.

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

“I feared the crows and jays who wait on my mother would have long ago pitched you from their nest, but you are safely fledged, I see,” he said teasingly.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

The young birds are expected to remain there for about 10 to 14 weeks before fledging as their older siblings, Sunny and Gizmo, did in 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

One unexpected finding was that warmer extremes were linked to heavier fledging weights during the nestling stage.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

Antonio Tejero Molina, the Spanish Civil Guard officer who led a failed 1981 coup that ended up strengthening Spain's fledging democracy, has died aged 93, his family's lawyer said Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

Among the Facebook watchers excitement is building ahead of the expected fledging.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025

Still, one reporter insisted on the superior knowledge of the fledging Commander Kane, “nothing had been left undone.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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