The prison, which will replace the ­notorious Barlinnie jail, will also feature owl and bat boxes, fruit trees and extensive gardens for inmates.

The latest revelations, boosting its credentials as ‘Britain’s greenest nick’, follow a request from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) for 300 special bricks – with holes for the globally threatened swifts to live in – to be incorporated into the jail’s five massive halls.

The charity said the nesting bricks would be a ‘biodiversity enhancement’ at the prison which is under construction at the junction of the M8 and M80 motorways in Glasgow’s East End.

RSPB Scotland said: “Swifts are a quintessential sign of Scottish summertime and an intrinsic part of Glasgow. However, they have declined and are now a ‘red-listed’ species on the list of Birds of Conservation Concern.

“Swifts are entirely reliant on buildings to nest and return faithfully to the same site each year. Loss of nest sites is a key factor in the decline of swifts.”

A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “We are committed to ensuring a range of benefits from the HMP Glasgow development, including for local biodiversity.”