Data are presented referring to the distributíon and status of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in Tenerife. The species has been detected in 74 of the 114 grid squares (5 x 5 kms.) prospected. Most of the contacts (70.1%, n = 174) were registered between 0-300 m. a.s.l. with a significant proportion being concentrated between 51-100 m. The possible reasons for the observed tendency to occupy the lower zones in conjunction with the irregular distribution pattern in the Anaga an Teno Massifs are discussed. The maximun altitude at which breeding has been recorded is 1,080 m., although birds have been registered at 1,200 m., and one cannot rule out their presence at higher altitudes. The population has been estimated to comprise a minimum of 161 pairs, but the true figure could well be in the order of 250.