fledgling

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
fledgling /ˈfleʤlɪŋ/ (also fledgeling)

▶noun

• 1 a young bird that has just fledged.

• 2 [as modifier] denoting an inexperienced person or emergent system: fledgling democracies.

– origin C19: from the obs. adj. fledge (see fledge), on the pattern of nestling.