Well, I hope the "mother of dragons" is hanging out nearby...even then, ya never know lol...at least "historically" (lol?!)
Don't just assume it is toys. Do an ABC chart, but YES, toys are important...
Try some wood, some plastic, some shreddable and see where the bird takes most interest.
I wrote this advice for some people on a different website, but it applies to you too, SO I am pasting (not for lack of love, but for lack of time):
Parrots take a LONG time to adjust to new people and routines (a human week is like 2 hours to them). There are at least 4 reasons for behavior: 1)tangibles, 2) sensory, 3) attention and 4) escape
A reinforcer is anything that increases a behavior. Negative reinforcement isn't bad---it simply means that you are removing something and the removal of that item/task increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated. Positive reinforcement means that you are presenting something that meets one of the 4 functions of behavior as a reinforcer (attention, tangibles, escape, or sensory). Just because you think of something as rewarding, does not mean your parrot will do the same. In order for a reinforcer to be a reinforcer, it must INCREASE some sort of behavior (good or bad). Once you figure out what is reinforcing a particular behavior, you can use that to come up with a more socially acceptable replacement behavior that meets the same function as the less-desired behaviors OR trumps them entirely.
Do not shove sticks in to get him to step up right away. Wait wait wait. Slowly, work on target training your bird. If he bites, do not react by leaving, as this will make him believe that biting solves his problem. At the same time, read his body cues to prevent him from getting into a behavioral loop of biting (you don't want him getting daily biting practice). Basically, present a preferred item/food (if that works for him) and see how eagerly he approaches. If he comes closer then you have found a good start...but this only will work if motivated by food. If motivated by food, slowly increase the distance between the bird and the item until his comfort zone is stretched. Then see if you can change your hand positions until he steps up there (I am talking WEEKS of training...months are more likely).
Also, BEWARE of satiation! Birds and people get sick of favorite foods (or food in general) if they are presented in excess or if the bird isn't hungry. For this reason, I would try starting training sessions in the morning when the bird is most hungry and only use the best treats in small doses. DO NOT GIVE THE TREAT UNLESS HE MAKES SOME VISIBLE PROGRESS TOWARD YOUR GOAL. Depending on your bird, this could be as small as a step towards your hand, or coming all the way out onto the door (I don't know his comfort zone, so it is hard to say).
I hope that helps some....I also hope I didn't ramble too much and confuse things further.
our newly won B&G has of late been showing some lunging and charging behavior. As we like our toes, we're trying to understand why he feels compelled to charge at us. It might be because we were teaching him to be a Targaryen dragon, but he might need some toys to keep him busy during the day while we are unattended (he is cage-free). My apologies if I missed a thread on the subject already, but what are your recommendations for macaw toys and which have you found are the most essential?
