Though some overachieving parents read and play Mozart to their unborn babies, there is little scientific evidence to suggest that children gain long-term benefits if you expose them to certain sounds before birth.

Zebra finch babies, however, may be a different story, according to new research published Thursday in Science.

Two scientists from Deakin University in Australia discovered that Australian zebra finches sing unique calls to their eggs when it’s hot out. What’s more, birds that were incubated and raised at high temperatures grew more slowly if they had been exposed to these “incubation calls,” an adaptation that later led to higher reproductive success. The researchers believe their study provides some insight into how these birds might respond to climate change.

These findings show, for the first time, that parent birds can communicate environmental conditions to their babies before they hatch, said Joseph Woodgate, a behavioral ecologist at Queen Mary University of London who has previously worked with both researchers.