Noisy Indian Ringneck!!!

Question
I have an Indian Ringneck parrot and she is just over 1 years old. When she is left alone, even if we are just in another room, she squawks as loud as she can until we come back. It is very loud and our roommates don't appreciate it very much. We are thinking of getting another bird to keep her company and quiet. Will getting a new bird just make more noise? Is it too late to introduce a new bird or will they bond? She has hundreds of toys to play with and a massive cage. Is there anything else we can do to make her stop? (We also do not know if she is male or female? We just say that its a she.) Please help! Thank You
Louise

Answer
You say that she's squawking until you come back but actually she's squawking BECAUSE you come back! She's learned that if she yells for a long time, you'll come to see what she wants. If you completely ignore her (not even looking at her when she yells) she'll stop pretty quickly. The trick is POSITIVE re-enforcement. The moment she stops screaming, go and give her tons of attention! But, she's still going to want a way to get your attention. The key is to pick something that is annoying, but doesn't hurt your ears. My birds either must talk (GREAT idea if your bird can talk) or ring a bell to get my attention. Yes, ringing and talking gets annoying when you don't have time to go play with them at that moment, but it's MUCH better than screaming. Another bird will NOT make her quiet. She may actually scream more because she doesn't like the bird. Also, once you get a second bird, they will bond with each other and be completely untrainable. Then you will just have TWO screaming birds that will probably also bite. It doesn't really matter which gender you have unless you plan on breeding. Choosing a girl name is always best because not all female birds lay eggs, but NO male birds do :) This way, if the bird lays eggs, it wont be awkward calling it by a male name.
If you live in an apartment, talk to your neighbors about the screaming. Tell them that it may get louder (it usually gets VERY loud right before the screaming ends. It usually takes a few days to completely train the bird) but it will stop. Most neighbors are fine with it as long as you tell them ahead of time.
Good luck and let me know if you have other questions!