How do birds that don't fly south (such as pigeons) handle the cold in winter?

Question

They live all summer in nice weather then get hit with vey cold weather but it doesn't seem to bother them. Just curious.

Answer 1

Birds that fly south usually do it because of resources, not the temperature really.
Pigeons don't really have a specific food resource that becomes lacking, they're pretty much scavengers in the first place - so it's not necessary for them to relocate to an area with a more abundant winter food source.
Most geese, etc., migrate south to where water won't be frozen solid so they still have access to food.

Answer 2

Birds migrate due to shortage of food. However, it is the gregarious birds that are compelled to migrate south as they need more food sources together as winter (snow) makes the food scarce in their temperate or arctic habitats. The advantage of gregarious birds migrating is that they will not find it difficult to navigate, many will perish but still large numbers will survive the hardship enroute and then reproduce when they return to north.

Answer 3

It's not so much the cold as it is the food available. Good, high-fat, high-protein food allows most birds to manage even very cold weather. Remember, they have pretty high metabolisms and can generate quite a bit of heat as long as they have the fuel to burn.

Answer 4

Their thick feathers keep them warm enough.