Stone Station on San Clemente Island served as the incubation and chick-rearing facility in the early days of the San Clemente Island loggerhead shrike recovery program. Perched on the eastern side of the rugged, windswept island, the research station was home for the biologists and researchers working on the project as well as the birds, and continues to be today. After great breeding success, the program has released about 30 to 40 birds each year since 1999, and the wild population has grown from only 5 breeding pairs in 1999 to over 50 breeding pairs in 2006. By 2011, the breeding population combining both wild birds and those in managed care numbered more than 170 shrikes.