So, I bought my yellow nape a tree stand today, its a manzanita stand, aboput 3 feet tall, just a table top. I figured try it out before I either build a bigger one out of pvc or by a bigger one at the bird fain next month. I put toys on it and put him on it. He goes straight to the very top, eats a bit then flys back to his cage. I put him back on, he just sits on top for a while then flys back to his cage. Does this mean he's not going to use it, is there anyway I can entice him to use it? I know he's used to the play area I've turned the outside of his cage into, but I bought it for a reason. any thoughts?

That's the problem with such things as the parrot tower, stands, etc. Most of them go straight to the top and that's where they stay. There is a way to get them to use the whole stand. Put their favorite toys and/or treats on the lower branches. Once they get used to it and see their favorite toy a branch below, hopefully they'll go play with it.

In addition to Lara's suggestions, move the stand into another room away from the cage. That may help too.

Or...put the stand next to his cage so he gets use to seeing it.

I expect he just needs some time to get used to it, but you've received a couple of good points here. Zon's, being the territorial buggers they are, will naturally prefer to hang out on their cage and protect it if given the choice (besides, he's used to using his cage for a play area). Non-hanging play-gyms do tend to only get used on the top (IMO and IME), but Lara's suggestion should help.

I obviously have smaller birds than an Amazon But they do have a huge 3 level tabletop gym - and I can say that they all make use of the entire gym (well, Winston is beginning to figure out that he can play all over it, whereas at first he did tend to fly to just the top few perches.) The gym is in another room than their cages. My gym has many places to hang toys and that is what mainly keeps them interested in the whole gym. I hang their favorites (I have a bag of toys specially picked out for this gym and it contains some favorites for everyone) and usually rotate all the toys almost daily so their favorites are in a different spot. If I put Jerry's favorite bell on the bottom level, he will play with it down there - or wherever it may be. Lulu LOVES foot toys so I throw a handful all over the gym and she will go and pick one up, carry it all over the gym, drop them all the time. But she will drop them on different levels so then she goes and picks them up from another level. She can definitely keep herself occupied by climbing all around the gym by searching for foot toys or foraging for some food that I sprinkle on each level.

So I think the key is figuring out what his favorite things are and strategically placing those things on areas other than the top. I would also suggest moving it out of sight of his cage - does he have favorite toys in his cage? You could take those out and hang them on the gym to get him used to playing on it.

Maybe put some of his favorite treats on the lower rungs to encourage him to explore the whole thing? That's what I had to do..

I also remember some advice I got from Wayne of Wayne's Parrot Stands - sometimes parrots are so protective of their cages, they go right back all the time. So stands are often good in other rooms - not the room the cage is in. For instance, if the cage is in the living room, and you often go on the computer in your office, put the stand in the office. The parrot will learn to enjoy the stand because 1.) he doesn't have to worry about defending his cage and 2.) he starts to understand it's a way to be with you when you leave the room that the cage is in. All this advice worked for my little previously cage bound Humphrey, so perhaps it will work for a more socialable parrot like your Papi.