He earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Geography, followed by a Master's degree from Gauhati University, where he also received a gold medal for his academic performance.
Throughout his tenure, he undertook various administrative roles, leading projects aimed at rural development, environmental protection, and wildlife conservation.
He continued his academic journey at Gauhati University, earning a Master of Arts degree in Geography in 1985, also achieving first position along with a gold medal.
Notably, he became only the second person to receive a DSc from Gauhati University, awarded for his systematic review of mammals in North-east India in 2008.
He has contributed significantly to the study of birds in North-East India, rediscovering species such as the Manipur bush quail after a 75-year absence from records.
[20] He has done pioneering path-breaking studies on the endangered White-winged wood duck[21][22] and Mrs Hume's pheasant,[23] to reveal their accurate range and status in India.
In 1986, he traveled to North Cachar Hills (renamed Dima Hasao district) to start a two-decade-long research on primates that covered the entire North-East India in later years.
[39] Choudhury's pioneering work in conservation also contributed greatly to increasing awareness of the issue of endangerment of Rhinos in North East India.
Choudhury was one of the early members of the World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly called the World Wildlife Fund), and the Bombay Natural History Society in North-East India (since 1981) and has actively contributed towards their activities in this region, including wildlife surveys, awareness and identification of Important Bird Areas.
[citation needed] Choudhury's work in conservation has resulted in the identification and subsequently protection of a large number of areas in North-East India, more particularly Assam.
Due to his work, more than 15 wildlife sanctuaries have been established, including Bordoibam-Bilmukh, Pani-Dihing, Barail, Bherjan-Borajan-Podumoni, Dihing-Patkai, Hollongapar Gibbon, Nambor-Doigrung, Nambor, East Karbi Anglon, North Karbi Anglong, Amchang, Marat Longri, Barak-Bhuban and Narpuh; and two elephant reserves, the Dhansiri-Lungding and Dihing-Patkai.
He was also instrumental in upgrading Dibru-Saikhowa into a national park, inclusion of Laokhowa and Burhachapori Sanctuaries in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, and declaration of the white-winged wood duck as the state bird of Assam.
[citation needed] His writings in the 1980s also resulted in the shelving of a railway project through the southern edge of the world-famous Kaziranga National Park and World Heritage Site.
He also took an active part and partially succeeded in reducing social murders in the name of witch-hunting in remote areas such as Baksa district at the edge of Eastern Himalaya in Assam.
[44][45] Choudhury's influence helped save many protected areas in North-East India from environmentally destructive developmental projects.
[47] Anwaruddin Choudhury has written 28 books and monographs, and more than 50 technical reports on the birds and mammals of North East India based on his studies and supported by long-term observations (list below).