Listed as Endangered, Platalea minor breeds on islets off the west coast of North Korea and South Korea, and Liaoning province in mainland China. The three major wintering sites are the Tsengwen estuary of Taiwan, the Deep Bay area of Hong Kong, and Hainan Island. Its population fell to an estimated low of 288 individuals in 1988 but appears to have recovered to a total of 1,679 individuals by 2006.