Impalas have a symbiotic relationship with Oxpecker birds. The oxpeckers selectivively choose the impala even in the presence of other types of antelope. They feed on ticks from parts of the antelope’s body which the animal cannot reach by itself (such as the ears, neck, eyelids, forehead and underbelly).

Impala browse as well as graze. They are mixed feeders and eat mainly grass in the wet season and leaves as the dry season progresses. They can also be found eating the fallen red fleshly flowers of the sausage tree. To escape their pursuers they employ a confusing, zig zag escape route, with sudden directional changes and exceptionally high leaps making it difficult for the pursuing attacker to strike.