Research has estimated that almost 6 million Adélie penguin live in East Antarctica, more than double the previous count.
The jump in population is to due a new counting method that took into account non-breeding birds. A report from the Australia Antarctic Division has called the findings "their best estimate yet."
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Aerial and ground surveys were conducted along 5,000 kilometers of coastline by Australian, French and Japanese scientists.
Scientists now estimate the total Adélie penguin population to be 14-16 million.